Secrets Behind Brick Walls
by love.ly.ish
Summary: Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are similar - too similar. Even their names sound almost the same. When Paulina, Casper High's resident gossip, puts two and two together, a well-kept secret threatens to become common knowledge. However, her own secrets have a way of sealing her lips, so who knows. No Danny x Paulina. Eventual Paulina x Star.
1. chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Faulty Transitions**

Paulina smiled at her best friend, Star, while looping her arm through her's.

"Didn't you hear Dash and Kwan are totally gay for each other?" Paulina whispered to her friend, her big blue-green eyes shining with a mischievous sheen.

"They're what?" Star gasped, covering her mouth with a manicured hand. "Does that mean I had sex with a gay guy?"

"Hey, I did too..." Paulina trailed off. She hadn't thought of that. "Well, that sucks."

"Yeah, it does..." Star looked at her friend with furrowed eyebrows. "Oh well! This'll be fun to tell everyone!"

"I know, right?" Paulina giggled with her friend, flipping her long black hair frivolously over her shoulder.

The late bell rang just as the girls waltzed into their English class, Mr. Lancer giving them a stern glare. The pair took their seats together, stifling their excitement when they saw Danny Fenton and that goth girl, Sam Manson, whispering to one another, their faces just inches apart.

"Do you think they're screwing?" Star asked, biting her lip with curiosity.

"Oh, definitely," Paulina laughed, earning yet another glare from the teacher.

The two finally gave up on their conversation, deciding instead to take "notes". Star doodled little flower designs, getting more and more intricate as class progressed. Paulina would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed with her friend's ability to draw. She really did have a knack for art.

Paulina, on the other hand, mindlessly scribbled the words she'd memorized from some author Lancer had made them learn about. 'How we need another soul to cling to ~Sylvia Plath.' She was some writer from be fifty's or something - content that Paulina wouldn't have paid much attention to if not for the words worming their way into her head at night when she couldn't sleep. That Sylvia girl was pretty rad, Paulina had finally decided after weeks of going back and forth on her opinion of the writer. With her mom having left just a year ago, she liked to think that Plath was her makeshift mother. It was pathetic, but it was also comforting.

Suddenly, Paulina sat up straight, a familiar feeling filling her with dread. Looking down at her light blue pair of pants, she silently cursed under her breath, pulling her backpack from the back of her chair and searching for a tampon or pad.

"Ms. Sanchez, is there any reason you're disrupting my class," Mr. Lancer looked at the teenage girl, lifting a single eyebrow at the sound of her backpack.

"Yeah, I just got my period and I really need to get a tampon in," Paulina help up a tampon she'd found in her bag, giving the now blushing teacher a smug smirk.

"Very well, make it quick," Lancer signed, turning away to try to hide the discomfort written across his face. Star and a few other girls in the class chuckled, amused by Lancer's embarrassed reaction.

Paulina waltzed out of the classroom and into the empty hallway, tampon in hand. After a few minutes, she was just getting ready to walk out of the bathroom and back to class when something shook the floor beneath her. Stumbling forward, the raven haired girl fell against the bathroom door with a ' _thud_ '. A few moments later, another wave shook the ground, sending Paulina through the swinging women's room door. She nearly landed on her face, but caught herself before she got the chance to. A sharp cracking sound came from her wrist, causing a small yelp to leap from the girl's throat. Carefully, she sat herself up and examined her left wrist, which felt either sprained or broken for sure.

Paulina bit back a sob, instead looking around to find the thing - probably a ghost - that had caused the tremors. When she heard footsteps down the hall, she assumed the worst and scampered back into the restroom in hopes of avoiding an ecto-blast. When the footsteps stopped and a ragged breath echoed through the otherwise empty hallway, Paulina couldn't help but nudge the door open just a bit, her curiosity getting the best of her. Standing in the center of the hallway was none other than Danny Fenton - geek extraordinaire. Just as she was about to walk through the door and have him help her back to class, the raven haired boy sighed lightly.

"Really, three days in a row? And all during Lancer's class?" He seemed to direct the question towards the ceiling, shaking his head in dismay. "Alright, well, going ghost!"

What happened next moved so fast, Paulina might have missed it if she'd blinked. Two electric blue rings formed around Danny's waist, moving over his body in a flash of blue light. As they moved, they left behind a black and white hazmat suit. His blue eyes turned radioactive green, and his raven hair turned a silvery white. Where Danny Fenton had once stood, Danny Phantom now floated a few inches off the ground. Without another word, he flew through the ceiling, presumably to find the source of the tremors and leaving a very dazed Paulina leaning against the bathroom door.

After what felt like hours, but was probably only a few moments, Paulina finally pulled herself up straight, walking slowly over to the mirror. She absentmindedly fixed her hair. 'Pretty girls get respect,' her mom had always chided. 'Even on your worst days, you have to make sure you're pretty.' After a minute or so running her hands through her hair and fixing her smudged eyeliner, she stared at herself in the mirror, her hands shaking on the porcelain sink.

"Pretty," she murmured, turning and walking through the door and into the hallway. With each step, her injured wrist throbbed, bringing her slowly out of her state of shock and back into reality. When she made it back to the classroom, Lancer was just opening the door to check for students in the hallway.

"Ms. Sanchez, thank heavens you're alright. Get in here before it happens again," Lancer grabbed at her left wrist, and Paulina sobbed in response.

"I- I fell on my wrist," her voice came out whinier than she'd meant for it to be. Lancer hastily apologized and hurried her into the classroom before closing and locking the door. All the students were sitting, lined up against the wall furthest from the classroom door. Typical ghost attack protocol. Paulina found her way towards Star, who sighed and hugged the injured girl the moment she sat down.

"Oh my GOD Paulina I was SO worried about you!" Star rambled. "Where the hell were you? You were gone for, like, ever!"

Suddenly, Paulina's mind was fully pulled back to reality thanks to her best friend's presence. Slowly, she smiled, the latest bit of Casper High gossip lingering at the tip of her tongue. But there was something keeping her from letting it fall out of her mouth. Her stomach dropped at the thought of Fenton- of _Phantom's_ secret becoming public knowledge.

Before Paulina could decide how to respond, a pounding came from the classroom door, and Lancer stealthily slinked over and peaked out of the small window. With a sigh, he unlocked the door and let another student in. Paulina's posture went rigid the moment she saw who had just stumbled in, her breath hitching in the back of her throat.

"Mr. Fenton, thank goodness you're here," Lancer sighed, ushering Danny Fenton into the classroom and locking the door once again.

 **Hey guys! I can't get into my old dp account to work, so I'll just post this on my multifandom account!!**

 **I'm rlly excited about this one - I have a lot of ideas!! Please review and follow and like, it all means so so much!**

 **Also! If any of you guys have any ideas, hmu Bc I don't know what's going on in this later.**

 **Anyways, I'll update in a few days - probably one or two. Until next time!**

 **~Ash**


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Mirrored Secrets

The rest of the day went by relatively uneventfully. The ghost attack was taken care of by Danny Phantom. Meanwhile, Danny Fenton acted exactly the same as always, hanging close to Techno-Geek-Foley and Goth-Girl-Manson. In addition, Paulina was totally freaking out.

Star noticed, of course. As shallow as she presented herself, she was actually pretty smart. She asked Paulina what was up, but the raven haired girl dodged each each question, eventually telling her best friend that she just wasn't feeling well.

"Omg, is it cramps?" Star asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "I've got some ibuprofen in my bag, you want a few?"

"No, um, I think I'll just head home," Paulina lied, smiling meekly at her friend. The two were supposed to hang out and do some homework that night, but Paulina knew she had to deal with the whole Fenton-Phantom thing first.

"Ok Paulie," Star 'tsk'ed critically. She narrowed her eyes once more. "Just take care of yourself."

Of course Paulina knew her friend didn't believe her. Like she said - Star was smarter than she looked, which was part of the reason the two girls made such a good duo. But in this instance, her soft spoken intelligence was working against Paulina's need to talk to those geeks.

"Yeah, I will," Paulina smiled at her friend before walking out of the school. Instantly, her eyes focused on Fenton and his friends.

The three were walking together, completely isolated from all the other students. Paulina took a deep breath, checking her sloppily-wrapped left wrist. The nurse had assured her that it was just sprained, but she planned on getting a doctor's opinion that night.

"-Skulker again?" Foley's voice came into range as Paulina silently got closer to the trio.

"Yeah, he had some new upgrades or whatever," Danny sighed. He ran his hand through the back of his hair nervously.

"Danny..." Manson stopped, causing the two boys - and consequently Paulina - to stop as well. "Did he say something?"

Danny sighed, and Paulina's stomach lurched. Right in front of her was her personal hero and crush, his breathing slow and labored. Something was wrong, and Paulina felt like she was intruding. With a low sigh, she turned around to walk away before running into none other than Dash Baxter.

"Ow!" Paulina yelped, pulling her wrist away from the jock. She'd hit her wrist against his chest, causing it to start throbbing again. "My wrist, you airhead!"

"Oh, right. Sorry Paulie," Dash smirked.

"Don't call me that," Paulina growled, pushing past him and walking towards her house.

One part of her was disappointed she didn't take her chance to confront Fenton/Phantom, but the other part of her was oddly glad with her decision. She knew something was wrong on a bigger level than any high school gossip. Sure, Paulina was a gossip, but she tried her best to draw a line somewhere. But this secret...this was huge. She knew she'd have to try harder than she ever had before if she wanted to keep her lips sealed.

As soon as she got home, Paulina's dad staggered out of the living room and into the entry way. Standing under the chandelier, the shadows and contours of his face gave him a sinister glow.

"You were out all day - where," her dad said it more as a statement than a question.

"I was at school, daddy," Paulina shuffled her feet, looking down to avoid eye contact.

"On a Saturday?" he asked in a stern tone, his foot tapping impatiently.

"It's Friday, daddy," Paulina sighed, inching back a few steps. To compensate, her father stepped forward until Paulina was pinned against the wall next to the door. She could smell the booze wafting off of him.

"Are you back-talking me, Lina?" he asked, the stench of alcohol intensifying when he spoke.

"No," she whimpered.

"No, _daddy_ ," her father corrected her, using his finger to lift Paulina's chin, forcing them into devastating eye contact.

"No _daddy_ ," Paulina breathed the words carefully.

With a low grunt, her father took a few steps away, looking up and down her body. "Your wrist is bandaged. Call the family doctor and have her come over tonight," he said with finality, stumbling into the living room once again to continue his tv show. Paulina leaned back against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief. He'd hardly touched her.

Paulina's father used to be the sweetest, gentlest man in the world. At least, that's what Paulina had thought. When her mom left them for that male model, his composure crumpled completely. He started drinking, and put his advisors in more and more control of the company. After just two months of no more Mom, her father started to...touch her. Sometimes it was running his hand up her thigh. Sometimes it was gripping her so hard she had bruises on her abdomen and arms. Sometimes, he didn't even have to touch her to violate her - just that disgusting look of pleasure while he looked at her body was enough to send shivers up her spine.

Paulina sauntered up to her room, throwing open the large mahogany double doors and closing them gingerly. Cradling her injured left wrist, she made her way over to her balcony, taking a seat on the pristine creme colored couch sitting just under the overhang. She looked up at the sky, her eyes landing on a light, fluorescent green figure speeding across the sky. Danny - the ghost boy. Looking back down at her wrist, Paulina came to a solemn realization. If she could keep her dad's secret for so long, she sure as hell could keep Danny's, too.

 **Hey guys! I couldn't wait to post this, especially with all these follows, favorites, and rEVIEWS!!**

 **Usually, it takes me a few days to get this much traction, so this is super, super exciting! I'll probably end up publishing tomorrow as well, because I've got the next chapter written and only have to edit it, lol.**

 **Anyways! Thanks to everyone, especially the people who reviewed - it means a ton. I did have one question about Paulina's crush on the Ghost Boy, and I do plan on incorporating it; it'll be crucial in the next two-ish chapters!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Home Sweet Home

Paulina hated the weekend. Period. Sometimes she managed to sneak away for a few hours, but most of the time she was stuck up in her room, basically banging her head on the wall to keep from going insane. Her father insisted that she stay home on the weekends for some reason. She could never know for sure why he wanted her home, but she didn't have the audacity to ask. But, with all the craziness going on in her life, the universe must have decided to toss Paulina a bone, because her dad was passed out drunk on Saturday. As silently as she could, she sneaked down the stairs, creeping out of the house without any problems. Freedom at last.

Standing just outside her house, Paulina took a deep breath, weighing her options. She could go talk to Fenton- _Phantom_ \- whoever the hell he was. That idea scared her more than she'd like to admit. She could go to the mall, but her allowance was up for the month, so that would be pretty boring. She could go hang out with Star. After all, Paulina had blown off her best friend just the day before. Pushing her bag farther up her shoulder, she started the short three block walk over to Star's place.

The second Paulina knocked on the door, Star opened it, a guarded look creeping onto her face. "Hey girlie, how're you feeling?" she spoke critically.

Paulina forced a smile. "Oh, tons better, so super duper," she let some sarcasm leak into her voice. Immediately, Star's face fell, a genuine look of concern filling her eyes.

"Oh, Paulie, come on in," Star held her door open, letting Pauline pass her. Star's house was a medium sized split level and about half the size of her own house, but it felt more like home than her's ever had. Even when her mom was still living with them, things were tense. Meanwhile, Star's house was lovely and warm. Her mom was a stay at home since she'd gotten her right leg amputated after a bad car crash right after Star was born. Her dad was a professor at a local college; he taught American history, and there were usually about a dozen different history books floating around the counters and end tables. The entire house smelled inexplicably of cinnamon and vanilla, and sometimes the girls would light the fireplace in the living room while they studied.

Paulina and Star made their way to the blonde's room, closing the door behind them. The raven haired girl sat down on the light orange carpet, grabbing a sparkling butterfly-design pillow and hugging it to her chest. Star sat down next to her, twirling her fingers through the battered carpet listlessly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Star asked quietly, not meeting her eyes.

"I don't know," Paulina sighed, pushing her chin into the pillow.

"Your dad?" the blonde teen questioned.

Paulina shrugged. "Kinda." Star was the only person she's managed to tell about her dad's recent actions.

Suddenly, Star sat forward, her intelligent blue eyes staring intently at her. "You found something else out," she breathed.

"Um, no—"

"Yes, yes you did, you heard something, or- or you saw something!" Star stammered, smiling mischievously at her.

Hanging her head, Paulina sighed and nodded. "Yeah...I did."

"What is it?"

The raven haired girl thought about Danny- about Danny Fenton and Phantom. The ghost boy had been someone she'd always admired. One might even say that he was her biggest crush. He was strong and witty and a true hero, and Paulina fell for that far too quickly. And then there was the fact that Phantom was Fenton, and that meant...that meant her biggest crush was the geeky boy who ogled at her between classes. For whatever reason, that fact knotted her stomach. A bold, perfect, brave hero? Sure, Paulina could believe in that. But a hero who was secretly a lackluster geek? That made her nervous. Paulina wanted so bad to believe in something - or someone - perfect, but maybe that was wishful thinking. After all, no matter how hard Paulina tried to present a facade of perfection, she would still wear those bruises under her clothes as constant reminders that she would never be the person she strives to be.

"Hello? Paulina?" Star brought her friend back down to reality.

"Um, I'm sorry, I just can't..." she trailed off. With a deep breath, she grabbed her purse from its spot on the ground. She pulled out her phone, scrolling quickly and handing the phone to Star. "But look what picture I found."

"Oh...my GOD!" Star gaped at the picture on the screen. The tiny glowing pixels outlined two boys in letter jackets - Dash and Kwan - embraced in a passionate kiss. "Where did you find this?!"

"Kinsey sent it to me last night, one of the football jocks put it on Snapchat at one of their parties," Paulina smirked at her friend, who continued to gape at the phone in awe.

"They are SO freaking cute," Star squealed, kicking her feet lightly into the carpet. "What's their ship name? Kash, or Dwan?"

Paulina wrinkled her nose, shaking her head lightly. "Definitely not Dwan."

Star giggled, sending the picture to herself from her phone. While she waited for it to send, she looked up at Paulina once more. She could see that Star was still curious about what she'd found out, but she'd decided not to push her for the moment being - which Paulina was grateful for. The last thing she needed was to burden her friend with her discovery.

The rest of the day, the two girls gushed over movie stars and did their nails, eventually getting to the homework they didn't do the day before. As confusing and complicated as Paulina's life had quickly become, she could count on her best friend to give her a little break from her hell hole of a life. She was amazing, and it hurt Paulina's heart that she didn't tell her about the whole Danny Fenton/Phantom thing, but she knew she couldn't. Not yet. There was one thing she knew she had to do first.

Before Paulina could tell Star what she knew, she first had to tell Danny what she knew.

 **Hey guys, sorry I didn't update yesterday like I probably said I would . but here's the next chapter! I'll try my best to update tomorrow - by the day after at the latest**

 **Anyways, merry Christmas! This is gonna sound a little odd, but this chapter is dedicated to anyone who has any anxiety and/or negative feelings around the holidays and reuniting with family. I know I'm personally dealing with some of this - so I really hope everyone reading this can have a home like Star's (or with a similar feeling - )**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited. It's always super super appreciated!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ash**


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Lying by Omission

Paulina spent Sunday at home, cleaning. Despite the fact that a cleaning lady came every Tuesday and Thursday, her father had her clean nearly every other day - even if there was nothing to clean. On that particular Sunday, she scrubbed the already spotless toilets, and vacuumed, not collecting even a speck of dust. It took her longer than normal because she had to coddle her injured wrist, which she'd found out was just sprained. As much as Paulina hated cleaning, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. The worst thing in the world was the few times she'd finished her cleaning early. Paulina shuddered just thinking about it; she could still feel her father's wandering hands burning across her skin.

Monday couldn't come soon enough. Star walked Paulina to school, the two girls giggling over the latest Casper High gossip.

"So, Harley tried to make a move on Valerie, but she definitely shot him down," Paulina retorted in a hushed tone as the two neared the entrance to the high school.

"Mhm, duh!" Star smiled wide. "She's, like, totally head over heals for Fenton!"

At the mention of Danny, Paulina stumbled a little bit, causing Star's lips to push together critically. Before she could question her, Tucker Foley made his way over to the two, walking into the school with them.

"Hey beautiful," he smirked at Star, the dark peach fuzz above his lip becoming more evident.

"Ew," Star sighed, flipping her hair. She knew Foley had a crush on her, and while she'd initially found it amusing, her amusement had quickly faded to disgust.

"Hey, uh, Star, do you wanna, uh—" Foley stumbled over his words, trying to retain his geeky composure. Before he could finish his question, Sam Manson walked up behind him, slapping him on the back of the head.

"Tucker, come on, we've got to go," she said, seemingly in a rush. Looping her arm through his, she pulled him back out of the school.

Turning back to look at them, Paulina focused in on their faces, both painted with a look of concern while Manson talked in a hushed tone.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Star asked, joining Paulina.

"I don't know," the raven haired girl sighed before looking back at her friend. "How about you go ahead without me."

"Paulie, what the hell is going on?" Star asked, leaning in closer to her friend and staring at her intently. "You've got something on Fenton, don't you?"

Paulina sighed, letting her shoulders drop. "Look, I've just got to deal with something, ok?"

Star pursed her lip, closing her eyes and taking a shaking deep breath. "I thought we were best friends. I've never kept anything from you - ever. What's so important that you can't tell me?"

"I- I'm sorry," Paulina grabbed her friend's arm, effectively forcing them into thoughtful eye contact. "Star, I- I can't tell you until I talk to him. This is...this is big."

Star's lips quavered lightly, her eyes misting. "What, do you have a crush on Fenton?"

Paulina took a step back, her hand falling from Star's arm. She opened her mouth before closing it, not entirely sure how to answer that question. Did she have a crush on Fenton? No...not really at all. But did she have a crush on Phantom? Absolutely. But how could she tell her friend that?

"Ok, I get it," Star said, taking Paulina's silence as an answer in itself. "I hope you and the geek squad are happy together."

Before Paulina could say anything else, Star stormed off into the school, leaving Paulina on the front steps by herself. Letting a deep sigh fall from her lips, she turned herself back towards Foley and Manson. She had to talk to Danny. Maybe then she'd be able to open up to Star about everything. Paulina knew that if she kept this from her friend much longer, it'd cause a rift, and she couldn't bare to think of what she'd do without Star in her life.

After another moment of collecting herself, Paulina plastered a fake smile on her face and walked with fake confidence over to the two geeks. "Hi Tucker. Hi Sam," Paulina forced a cheerful tone.

The two stopped talking, looking hesitantly over at the raven haired girl. "Go away, princess," Manson finally growled, elbowing Foley firmly in the side.

"Ow!" He looked over at Manson, who was glaring at him. "I mean, uh, could we talk later, Paulina?" he said her name wistfully, causing the goth girl to roll her eyes.

"Sure, that's fine!" Paulina feigned another smile. "Where's Danny, do you know?"

The two looked at one another, their eyebrows furrowing in unison.

"He's home sick!" Manson said.

"He's out of town!" Foley said a half a second later, obviously not hearing what his friend had just said.

"Oh?" Paulina asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. Obviously, they were trying to cover for their friend. But why? Where was Danny, really? "Well, can you tell him to talk to me when he's feeling better? And, uh, back in town?"

Both nodded, offering up smiles almost as fake as Paulina's. "Sure! Will do!" Foley looked at Manson.

Before any of the high schoolers could say or do anything, the bell rang, signaling that first period was about to start.

"Well, we've gotta go," Manson feigned hurry, pulling herself and Foley off to class hastily.

Walking dejectedly to her first period class, Paulina came to several revelations. First, there was the fact that those two knew Danny's secret, too. It was glaringly obvious, yet Paulina had overlooked it. Second, Danny probably wasn't going to be at school that day. Something was wrong, and for whatever reason, that was preventing Danny showing up to class. And third, Paulina would have to wait to talk to Danny about her discovery. His friends - especially that goth girl - obviously had some kind of personal vendetta against her, and Foley followed her blindly on the matter. That meant that Paulina was stuck - at least until Danny was available.

Sitting down in her math class, Paulina immediately rested her head on her hand, thinking about all of these things while her teacher droned on and on. Suddenly, a sharp crackling sound broke her from her thoughts, her eyes whipping towards the spot in the ceiling it had come from. The other students gasped as the ceiling broke, two ghosts falling through and scattering plaster across the classroom.

One of the ghosts, Paulina didn't recognize. He was tall and sickly pale with black, empty eye sockets. He wore a wide brimmed hat and a glowing white suit, lined with black. He glowered over the other ghost, a horrifying smile sneaking across his face.

The other ghost, Paulina recognized immediately, her stomach flipping over itself at the sight. Lying limp on the ground in front of the taller ghost was none other than Danny Phantom, Amity Park's resident ghost boy.

 **Hi everyone! I found time to update today (yay) and I think I'll be able to update tomorrow (we'll see)**

 **Sorry this ending is so cliffy . I'll try my best not to make those kinds of endings unless completely necessary**

 **Anyways, what do you guys think? All constructive criticism is greatly appreciated (as are compliments or comments!!)**

 **Thanks to everyone who continues to favorite, follow, and review!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5 - New Appearances

The large, white ghost quickly established himself as Walker - some kind of sheriff in something called the 'ghost area' or something like that. Paulina was too busy cowering in the back of the classroom with the rest of her classmates to pay close attention.

"Mmh," the ghost boy moaned from the ground, his usually bright green aura tinged a muddy, army green. His eyes fluttered occasionally, one time turning an electric blue for just a moment before adjusting back to radioactive green.

"Wow," Walker 'tsk'ed, pacing back and forth at the front of the classroom. "So these are the pathetic humans you fight so hard to protect?"

Phantom groaned, trying to push himself up, but face planting instead. For a horrifying moment, Paulina saw those ever familiar blue rings appear around his waist, but with a defiant scream, he willed them away.

"So, the infamous halfa - the ghost zone's famous enemy - is rendered speechless? Who would've thought..." Walked walked closer to the ghost boy, kicking him and effectively pushing him onto his back.

"Get...away from them," Danny groaned, his teeth clenched in pain.

Walker hooked his pointed black boot under Phantom's chin, lifting it so that he was forced to look at the taller ghost. "Tell me where it is, ghost boy."

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," Danny pulled his head away from Walker defiantly, pushing himself up on his elbows once again. "If this is about that stupid ring again—"

Walker laughed, walking around the front of the room once again. "Not at all, ghost boy. I suppose you might not know - yet," the smirk that laced his mouth shut gave Paulina shivers. It reminded her eerily of her dad's signature drunken expression. He looked back at all the students, a menacing glimmer in his eyeless sockets.

"Don't hurt them," Danny groaned from the ground.

Just as Walker opened his mouth to talk, the classroom door slammed open, sending up a shriek from the students. Turning towards the door, Paulina gasped. Standing in the doorway were none other than Sam and Tucker, each teen decked out in ghost hunting gear. Sam wore a pair of earrings that blinked neon green, giving her a wicked halo effect. She held a massive ecto-gun that was glowing and whizzing. Next to her, Tucker wore a thin suit of white and green glowing armor. Around his wrist sat a tiny ecto-weapon, the end of it glowing furiously.

"Get away from him," Sam growled, pointing her gun at Walker.

The taller ghost laughed, picking up the ghost boy by his arm. Danny struggled to get away unsuccessfully. "And risk shooting him? Are you sure?"

Sam wavered uncertainly, the end of her gun dipping slightly. Tucker, on the other hand, took a step forward. "He'll be fine. You won't."

Walker's smile wavered for half a second before restoring itself. He was scared, Paulina realized hopefully. Straightening her head up, she watched attentively, silently praying that the trio had a plan.

"Wanna bet?" Walker asked, and Paulina could sense some fake confidence in his voice. Having used her own so often, she'd gotten pretty good at detecting it.

With Walker's full attention on Foley and Manson, Danny took the opportunity to go intangible, easily slipping from the distracted ghost's grip.

"Danny Phantom is stronger than you'll ever be," Foley leveled his wrist gun at Walker.

"Oh? Then why was I—" Walker stopped himself, looking down at his empty fist. "Curse that halfa..."

Before the sheriff could finish his thought, Manson pulled a silver and green cylinder from her belt - the same kind Danny Phantom used to capture ghosts. She pressed a button on it, sucking Walker into a column of blinding blue light. Blinking the spots out of her eyes, Paulina looked around at the classroom. Students were murmuring amongst themselves and picking plaster out of their hair. All the while, everyone's main focus was on Sam Manson and Tucker Foley, who stood in the door way like deer in headlights.

Slowly, Paulina rose to her feet, making eye contact with Manson. The popular teen had always avoided the goth like the plague, but another realization struck Paulina in that moment. Sam and Tucker were ghost fighters - just like Danny. They were heroes too. And finally, _finally,_ everyone knew it. With a deep breath, Paulina started clapping slowly, other students joining her after just a few moments.

With a smirk, Paulina realized she had the two heroes just where she wanted them. She'd spread this news like wildfire, of course, and soon enough the two would be inducted into the a-listers. Somehow, she would find a way to tell them what she knew, and maybe they could help her understand. And maybe, just maybe, then Paulina could tell Star, and things could be ok again.

 **Eep! What do you guys think? I wasn't expecting this story to take this turn (I was only contemplating the idea before talking it through with a friend of mine - )**

 **Anyways! I've got the rest of this story generally mapped out, so I'm excited to keep working on it. I'll try my best to update daily, but every once in a while I may have to skip to every other day.**

 **A special thanks to Invader Johnny for all of your amazing reviews, they mean so much! Also, thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed - that's the kind of stuff that motivates me to post every day!!**

 **(Also, so sorry for the short chapter - next is gonna be longer, I promise!)**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Heads and Tails

By the beginning of second hour, everyone had heard about what Sam and Tucker had done - mostly thanks to Paulina. Making her way to her locker, she smiled to herself, proud of the buzz of excitement around her. She pulled a few books out of her locker, keeping all pressure off of her left wrist. Taking a quick look in the tiny mirror hanging in her locker, Paulina nearly screamed, almost dropping her books.

Right in the middle of her forehead was a small raised pinky-red bump - the beginnings of a pressure zit. She leaned herself up against the lockers around her to keep from dropping her books. A million thoughts buzzed through her head, causing the room around her to spin. Against her will, her vision blurred around her, wrapping her in her least favorite memory.

It was years ago. Paulina must have been only six or seven. Her mom had just gotten home from what she'd called a 'business trip'; she had a new nose now. The second she walked into their house, she paused, looking down at Paulina with a stern look.

"What's that on your face, Lina?" her mother asked.

"Oh! I was playing with Star and Brandon from down the road, and I accidentally fell," Paulina touched her face gingerly, running her tiny fingers across the large cut across her right cheek.

"Lina," her mother's voice was sharp as broken glass, "you have a pageant in three days. You know that if you don't get first place, bad things will happen."

"I know mommy, but—"

"You know?" Her mother took a deep breath, her manicured hands shaking furiously. "You know?! You know nothing, you spoiled little bitch! Beauty is everything! And you gave it up for what - some bastard and a dyke? You have to be the most selfish person I've ever met," her mother's light blue eyes hardened like a frozen lake in the dead of winter.

"Mommy," Paulina gasped, a few tears falling from her chin. "Please, I didn't mean to. And Star and I are just friends - I promise! I- I'll stop playing with Brandon, and, and I won't go outside unless it's for pageants, and—"

Before little Paulina could finish her sentence, her mother cut her off by lunging forward and grabbing her around the neck. Hearing the commotion, Paulina's father ran into the room, pulling her mother off of her and holding her a few inches off the ground. Paulina fell to the floor, clutching her neck and sobbing.

"That little bitch! She ruined it! She has to be pretty - she just has to!" the older woman cried, kicking and flailing in the stronger man's arms.

"Shh, baby it's ok," her father cooed to her mother, who slowly calmed down. "What happened? What is it this time?"

Her mother mumbled a slur of long medical words the little girl couldn't understand. At the time, she'd thought they were conditions. Now, Paulina knew better. They were prescription drugs - probably bought illegally. The last snippet of that memory passed, the cold floor against her shaking, seven year old hands still ever present in her senses.

"Paulie!" a familiar voice fully brought the girl from her memories. With shaking eyes, she looked up at her best friend - Star. "Hey, hey, did it happen again? Are you ok?"

Paulina shook her head no, looking at the books she'd - at some point - dropped on the ground. "Are- are we late for class?"

"Oh, just a little, but Lancer won't mind. We'll just tell him we're both on our period," Star smiled meekly at her friend before encasing her in a tight hug. "I'm so so sorry I overreacted earlier today, I was...I just..." Star trailed off, hugging her friend even tighter. "I missed you. I know it was just an hour or so, but still."

Paulina wrapped her arms around her friend, squeezing tightly. "I missed you too," she breathed the words into her friend's long blonde hair.

Second and third period dragged on, leaving Paulina anxiously tapping her foot next to Star. The two girls shared both classes, and spent the majority of the time passing notes to one another about Dash and Kwan, another small romance between Ellie and Eliot (mostly the girls giggled about their names), and Sam and Tucker. Together, both of them had decided to ambush them during lunch and force them to sit with them - along with Dash and Kwan, of course. Paulina still kept her plan to get close to them a secret from Star, which of course the other girl sensed, but luckily she didn't say anything.

The moment third period ended, Paulina and Star gravitated towards the two geeky heroes. Paulina looped her arm around Sam's, and Star did the same with Tucker. The two jumped, but Paulina and Star stood strong, simply smiling at the teens.

"Hi Tucker! Hi Sam!" Paulina said with forced confidence. She would never admit it, but she had to keep herself from shaking.

"You guys are, like, totally heroes!" Star smiled at Tucker, who looked about ready to pass out. Paulina stifled a laugh, remembering that Foley had a thing for Star.

"Uh, um, ah, thanks?" Tucker stuttered, smiling wistfully at the blonde.

Sam, on the other hand, looked far less flattered. She tried to pry her arm away from Paulina, but the popular girl held on tight, offering her a forceful smile. "Um, thanks. Can we, I don't know, go eat now?" Sam asked tentatively.

"Oh, of course!" Paulina flipped her hair over her shoulder. "We'll come with you! It'll be, like, totally fun!"

"Yeah!" Star smiled at Tucker, who looked like he was struggling not to pass out. This had to be the longest conversation her ever had with his crush.

Paulina and Star walked Sam and Tucker through the lunch line, making small off handed comments about some of their classmates as they passed. Finally, the two managed to drag the geeks over to their table, meeting Dash and Kwan.

"Woah! Hey Tuck! Hey Sammy! You guys are, like, totally awesome," Kwan smiled with a mouth full of sloppy joe.

"Dude, close your mouth," Dash nudged his boyfriend, smiling at him.

Kwan swallowed before smirking at his boyfriend. "Make me, lame ass."

The happy couple continued to banter, causing a cascade of giggles between Star and Paulina. Meanwhile, Foley and Manson sat there awkwardly, poking at their lunch. After a few more minutes of this, Sam finally stood up, pulling Tucker up to follow.

"We're going," the goth girl announced, interrupting one of Dash's (not so) witty responses to Kwan. Together, Sam and Tucker walked out of the lunchroom, causing the a-lister's table to go completely silent. Without a word, Paulina stood up, getting ready to follow them when Star grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, what's going on?" the blonde asked, still sitting.

"Oh, I'm just gonna go talk to them - see what's the matter, y'know?" Paulina forced a smile, which of course, her friend saw right through. Star wordlessly nodded, letting go of Paulina's uninjured wrist and letting her walk after Foley and Manson.

When she finally caught up, Sam had seen her approaching, stopping and turning towards her in the empty dead end hallway. "What is it, princess? Why the hell are you so obsessed with us?"

Paulina stopped a few feet from the two, taking a deep breath through her nose and letting it out of her mouth. She looked around; they were finally, finally alone. Tucker looked horrified, glancing nervously between Paulina and Sam like he expected an all out war to start any moment, and Sam stood tall with her arms crossed and her brows furrowed.

Paulina was standing right in the middle of her chance to find out what exactly was going on. She'd been running ever since that fateful Friday, but she couldn't afford to run anymore - not with Star as suspicious as she was, and not with everything else on her plate. Holding her breath, Paulina let her confident, happy facade drip away, replaced by big sad eyes and shaking lips. Sam's expression shifted to one of surprise.

"I- I need to talk to you guys about...about Danny," Paulina hardly breathed the words, her entire body shaking.

 **Here you go! This one is a little longer, which hopefully makes up for the last chapter and the next chapter being a little shorter (sorry . )**

 **BUT, what do you guys think? Things are about to get...let's say _dramatic_. I'm excited to see what everyone thinks.**

 **Thank you to everyone who follows and favorites, and a special thanks to everyone who reviews - y'all are what keep me writing!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ash**


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Promising Secrets

"Danny? Have you seen him lately?" Sam asked, her arms dropping to her sides. Tucker took a half a step forward, looking at Paulina curiously.

"Was he ok? Was he hurt?" the techno-geek asked, worry evident in his eyes.

Paulina looked between the two friends, her brows furrowing. "What...what do you mean? You don't know where he is?"

Sam and Tucker shared a meaningful look before turning back to the popular teen. "You haven't seen him since first hour?" Sam asked.

Paulina shook her head no. "I...I only saw him, I mean, well, not really in first hour..."

Sam's eyes went wide the moment she realized her mistake. "Oh, no, I mean Friday. First hour on...on Friday..." Sam looked like was about to cry when she turned to Tucker. He looked back at her, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"It's ok," Paulina took a small step forward. "I- I saw him. On Friday, I saw Danny, um, well I saw Danny Fenton, and then Danny Phantom..."

The two friends stared at Paulina for a few moments before Tucker laughed nervously. "That doesn't make any sense. Do you have a fever or something?" he managed nervously.

"No, no I saw him," Paulina took another step forward, now just a few feet from he two. "There were these rings of light - he said he was...going ghost? And then, he was just, well, he was just Danny Phantom."

Sam stomped her foot furiously, causing Tucker and Paulina to jump. "Dammit! This isn't supposed to happen! First Danny disappears, now you find out!" Sam nearly yelled, angry tears streaming down her face.

"Sam—" Tucker started.

"No! Tucker, this is bad, ok? Paulina can't keep a secret if her life depended on it," the goth sneered at Paulina.

"That's not true!" Paulina gasped, looking at Manson. "I found out on Friday, and I haven't told anyone—"

"Oh, like that matters," Sam 'tsk'ed, tapping her foot anxiously with her arms crossed once again. "You're just waiting for the right time to swoop in and tell the entire school."

"No! Never! I know some things are bigger than gossip—"

"Like what? Huh? What kind of things qualify as 'bigger than gossip', oh mighty princess of Casper High?"

"Like real things!" Paulina yelled it, effectively shutting Sam up. The popular girl took a few deep breaths, steadying her heart rate. "This is real. Believe it or not, my life isn't perfect. I know what real struggles are, and I know where to draw the line."

Tucker stared at the almost crying Paulina sympathetically. "I believe you," he sighed, earning a deadly look from Sam.

"You what? You believe her? Tucker, this is Danny we're talking about—" the goth started

"I know Sam, but she says she knows about real struggles, maybe we should—"

"Oh, what, we should just take that for face value? The only struggles she's ever probably had to deal with is when her daddy cancels her credit card."

Paulina took a step back, drawing the arguing friends' attention back onto herself. "Look, I just wanted to tell you that I knew. I tried keeping this a secret, but I just can't - not by myself. If I could just tell Star—"

"No," Sam cut Paulina off mid sentence. "You are absolutely not allowed to tell that bitch."

"Sam!" Tucker gasped.

"We don't need anyone else finding out!" Sam yelled, causing Tucker to close his mouth and look down at the ground. Meanwhile, Paulina continued to shake, her eyes filling with tears. The moment Sam noticed this, she smirked at the other girl. "What, afraid your follower might leave you if you don't give her new gossip?"

With that final comment, Paulina snapped, taking a few steps forward so that she had to look down to see the slightly shorter goth girl.

"Listen up, Manson. I could make your life a living hell - I don't even have to tell anyone about Danny to do that. And you know that. You will not talk to me that way again, do you hear me?" Sam nodded after a moment of solemn contemplation. "Good," Paulina continued. "You will join the a-listers, and you will tell me what the hell is going on with Danny. I understand if you don't want me to tell Star - that's...fine, whatever," she huffed, "but you have to keep me in the loop, otherwise I will ruin your life here at Casper High."

Sam gulped, her eyes wide. "Y- yes, ok."

Paulina forced herself to smirk at the terrified goth girl, all the while hiding her shaking hands by crossing them in front of her. "Good! Let's get back to lunch then, shall we?"

 **I'm so so sorry this one is so short guys! The way I'm writing the next few chapters, this is where I had to cut it off .**

 **However! Next chapter is going to be quite a bit longer, as is the one after that -**

 **Thank you to everyone who reads, follows, and favorites this story. An extra special thanks to everyone who reviews - I always get so excited when I see a new one!**

 **I'll try my best to post tomorrow**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	8. chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Constructive Destruction

Lunch that day was awkward; there was no denying the fact. Sam and Tucker reluctantly finished lunch with the a-listers, quietly whispering amongst themselves. Dash and Kwan were oblivious, punching one another in the arm and calling each other names like 'dumb ass' and 'shit face'. Needless to say, Paulina and Star giggled about how adorable they were. Despite her bubbly nature, Paulina knew Star was suspicious. They were best friends, after all, and had grown to know how to read one another.

By the end of the school day, Paulina had made plans with Sam and Tucker to head over to Sam's house and talk about where to go from there.

"Wow, ok, so they get popular and suddenly you're running around after them and blowing me off to see them," Star smiled, though her eyes looked pained. The moment Paulina had explained her after school plans, the blonde had gotten defensive.

"Look, Star, I just need to sort some things out, ok?" Paulina told her friend, trying to keep a steady voice.

"What are you hiding?" Star whispered her question, her eyes beginning to mist over.

"Star—" Paulina tried to grab her friend's arm, only to be shaken off.

"Look, just...just leave me alone until you can tell me what's going on," Star bit her shaking lip before walking quickly away from Paulina, who stood there, frozen in shock.

"Star!" Paulina called once she broke herself of her shock, but by then, her friend was too far away.

Before Paulina could think to do anything, Sam and Tucker came up behind her and moved her along the sidewalk.

"Come on, princess, lets go," Sam practically pulled her along, her arm looped through Paulina's. Together, the three walked to Manson's house.

Upon their arrival, Paulina suddenly remembered that her dad was business partners with Sam's parents; they were filthy rich. The three teens ended up hanging out in Sam's bedroom, her black curtains drawn and the vintage chandelier above them giving the entire room a dim purple glow. Tucker and Sam sat down on the goth's bed, and Paulina sat on a black bean bag chair.

"I forgot your parents work with my dad," Paulina said quietly the moment she sat down. The last thing she wanted was an awkward silence.

"Jeez, don't remind me," Sam rolled her violet eyes, crossing her legs and sighing. "So, what now? Are you gonna threaten us again?"

Paulina bit back a few curse words, instead taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, I know about Danny now, ok? And there's nothing we can do to undo that. We can't just ignore this. I can't just ignore this..."

The three sat there awkwardly for a few moments, Paulina not daring to look up at the two friends. She took a few shaking breaths, her heart hammering against the inside of her ears.

"Ok, so...what do you want to know?" Sam finally asked, drawing Paulina's eyes from her lap.

"Well...what happened?" the popular girl asked tentatively.

At that point, Sam and Tucker recalled the fateful night of the accident in Fenton Works Lab. At one point, Paulina had to keep herself from crying. She remembered the day Danny had come into class after the incident - he was acting so strange, and she'd been so mean to him. She thought about how many other 'geeks' she'd been mean to. What if...what if they had problems this big, too? That thought sent a shiver through her spine.

After their awkward retelling of the story, Paulina asked where Danny was now, earning a thoughtful glance between Sam and Tucker.

"We...we don't know," Tucker finally answered awkwardly.

"You don't know?" Paulina asked.

"We don't know, princess," Sam grumbled. "He disappeared last night, and then he showed up today in first hour, and we haven't seen him since. He said...well..."

"He said one of the ghosts said something weird about a door," Tucker finished Sam's sentence.

"And you don't—" Paulina began.

"Look, he's gotten out of worse before; he'll find his way out of this one," Sam interrupted. "He'll be back soon."

Again, Paulina found herself sensing forced confidence - this time from Sam. Taking a deep breath, she decided to let it go. They were Danny's friends, and if they said it was going to be alright, she had to believe them.

After another hour or so, the three teens had finally built the cornerstone of their understanding. Deciding that they'd done enough for the day, Paulina stood up and shouldered her bag.

"I should get going, but, um..." the word lingered on Paulina's lips. Her mother had told her not to say it unless it was a reach for beauty or power. Maybe...maybe her mom's advice didn't fit this situation. "Thanks," she let the word fall from her lips gingerly.

"Sure," Sam rolled her eyes, showing the popular girl the way out of her home.

Walking outside of the large house, Paulina looked just down the street at her own house. The lights were on in the uppermost level of the house, signaling to her that her father was awake. She figured that if she waited for him to fall asleep, he might not say - or do - anything to her. Looking back at the Manson house, she decided that she'd had more than enough Danny drama for the day. After a few more minutes of contemplation, Paulina finally broke, beginning the short walk to Star's house.

A few moments after knocking on the door, Star's mom greeted Paulina with a warm smile. "Oh, hi Paulina! Please, come on in. Star's upstairs in her room, go ahead and head up there," she said, letting the raven haired girl in.

Walking up the stairs, Paulina stopped just outside Star's closed door. The little glitter covered signs on her door sparkled, bringing a smile to her face. She remembered helping her friend make them when they were small. Things were so much simpler then, but the older they got, the more they both had to worry about.

Leaning her head against the door, a soft sniffling sound came through the thin wood, shocking Paulina. Star was in her room...crying. Paulina was almost certain it had something to do with their fights earlier that day. With a deep breath, she turned around, walking silently out of the warm house and into the street. As much as she needed a friend, she couldn't hurt Star anymore - not until things were figured out. With that thought in the back of her mind, she walked back to her own house, silently praying that her dad wasn't still awake - but of course, her luck was just about to run out.

 **This is a little longer, right? I hope you guys like this one - it's somewhat of a filler because the next few chapters are really going to escalate things!**

 **A few things I want to address - I got one review that someone wasn't going to read this Bc it wasn't Danny x Paulina, but ended up reading it Bc of the description. Honestly, I'm pretty proud of myself - I got someone to read a story that doesn't go with their ship! Yay!**

 **Also, Invader Johnny noted that Sam didn't really fight back after Paulina's threat - which is a good thing to note, as it comes into play later.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows - and especially to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	9. chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Clashing Nightmares

The next day at school was painfully awkward. Right off the bat, the morning was pretty shitty. Paulina had to deal with that damn pressure zit, which seemed to have grown with all the stress. She layered four coats of concealer over it, waiting between each coat for it to oxidize. Eventually, the zit blended into her skin nearly seamlessly, which the raven haired girl was grateful for. With everything swirling around her head, that stupid zit would have been the last straw.

"Hi," Paulina greeted hesitantly, smiling gently at Star when they met up to walk to school together.

"Oh, um, hi Paulie," Star unsuccessfully feigned a cheery, bubbly attitude.

"Hey, so, I'm sorry about everything that happened yesterday..." Paulina began, trailing off.

"Oh, yeah! My mom told me you stopped by. What happened?" Star smiled, making the dark circles under her eyes more evident.

"I had to go home..." Paulina stopped walking for a moment, looking down at her injured wrist and past it, at her left thigh. With a deep breath, she continued on, limping for a moment before walking normally once again.

Star stopped Paulina, grabbing her uninjured, right wrist. "Are you...are you ok?"

With a shaking breath, Paulina shook her head, pent up tears beginning to fall. Star grabbed the slightly taller girl, wrapping her arms around her protectively. Paulina hugged her back, a shaking sob falling from her lips.

"What the hell did that asshole do to you?" Star breathed the words angrily, her entire body shaking against Paulina's.

"I don't- I didn't- he didn't- I just- I deserved it," Paulina stammered a response. She continued to shake, her knees buckling beneath her from exhaustion and effectively pulling the two girls down to the curb. Luckily, the area was generally secluded, and nobody else from Casper High walked that way; nobody would see Paulina's breakdown.

"It's not your fault, shh, Paulie, I'm here, please calm down," Star spoke on a hushed tone, and Paulina could feel her friend's tears dripping onto her head. The two were now both seated on the curb, Paulina leaning up against Star while she held her in a tight embrace.

"I- I don't know what to do anymore," Paulina hiccuped.

"Please, tell me what happened," Star pulled away just enough to look at Paulina in the eye. She swept aside a few stray black hairs gently, sending her best friend a sad smile. "Please."

Taking a deep breath, Paulina looked at her friend, a few more tears dropping from her trembling chin. Wordlessly, she lifted the turquoise fabric of the left side of her capris. Star gasped, covering her mouth at the sight. Around her knee, a dark purple and blue bruise wrapped from right to left. Around it, the skin had a brown and yellow tinge, as if it was still darkening.

"What- what the hell did he do to you?" Star said, angry tears streaming down her face. "Paulina, you...you need to tell someone. I looked it up - any marks that last more than three hours count as—"

"No, please no," Paulina winced when she ran her fingers over her own leg. "Look what he did to me last night? I can't- what if they won't convict him? What if he...he..."

"Oh no, Paulie," Star looked at her sobbing friend. "Look, if you don't tell someone, I will," Star said it with such anger, Paulina flinched away.

"Please, don't. He- he'll kill me..."

"I won't let him," Star said this while she reached out to her friend, grabbing her by the shoulders with a firm grip. "I'll make sure things are alright."

"I—" Paulina started, only to be interrupted by someone clearing their throat from behind the two girls. Turning, Paulina nearly jumped at the sight of Casper High's resident goth girl.

"What's going on?" Sam didn't seem to notice the two girl's tear stained faces right away, her voice sharp as a knife. Paulina hastily covered up her left leg again, managing to stumble to a standing position.

"We were just talking, Manson," Paulina dropped a bit of poison into her own voice, forcing a sly smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Usually I walk with Danny, but this way is faster since he's—" Sam glanced at Star, who was still seated on the curb, "—sick."

"Well, I suppose you get to walk with us today, right Star?" Paulina turned to her friend, a fake smile plastered across her face. With a sigh, Star forced a similar smile, letting Paulina help her up.

"Sure, of course! So, Danny's sick, huh? Weird. Do they know what it is?" Star questioned, walking towards the school with the two raven haired girls.

"It's, uh, pneumonia?" Sam answered with a question.

"Oh! I hate pneumonia! I had it, like, three times. It's totally gross," Star began to chatter. Paulina recognized the move as a defensive stance. She was trying to draw Sam in, and the moment she did, she'd strike. She'd done it so many times, Paulina could recognize the tactic within seconds.

"Yeah, his parents don't even want us over," Sam lied, glancing nervously at Paulina.

"Oh, well, that sucks! What about Foley? Don't you two walk together, like, every morning with Fenton?" Star giggled maniacally, which only she could pull off.

"Oh, he's stuck at home—"

"Stuck at home?" Star gasped, covering her mouth in feigned shock. "You mean he's playing hooky? I wouldn't have pegged him as the type!"

"Oh, no, not playing hooky!" Sam looked at Paulina, silently begging for help. Paulina looked between the two girls, still walking at a relaxed pace towards Casper High.

She had a choice to make - either Paulina backed Sam up, helping her keep Danny's secret, just like she promised, or she stayed quiet and let Star finish off the goth girl. Either way, she lost. She couldn't betray Danny Phantom like that - not after everything he'd done for both Amity Park - and Paulina specifically. She also couldn't go against her friend - especially with their recent fights over the geeky trio in the last few days. Looking between the two girls, Paulina took a deep breath, the 'right' choice sitting on the tip of her tongue.

"Hey, he's probably just sick or something, too. I mean, he hangs out with Danny so much, it wouldn't be a huge surprise..." Paulina trailed off, watching her best friend's face fall from it's perky smile.

"Hmm, you're probably right," Star growled, glaring at Sam before turning her attention back to Paulina. In that moment, her expression shifted from anger to betrayal to sadness and finally to disappointment - the last thing Paulina wanted to see. "Well, looks like we're here. I should go get my stuff from my locker. You two have fun," Star choked up at the end, rushing the last few paces up the steps of the school.

"Thank you," Sam turned to Paulina the moment Star left, her voice filled with shock. "You...you just lied to Star. For Danny. For Tucker. Why would you- what are you up to?"

Paulina looked over at Sam, blinking tears from her eyes. She didn't have the energy at the moment to force a smile, so she just looked at her for a moment, taking a few shaking breaths.

"You're welcome," she muttered with finality, walking faster into the school and leaving Sam behind her.

 **Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but this one is a bit longer at least!! What do you guys think?**

 **Reading through this from the beginning, I'm starting to see how the characters all feel a little out of character, so I just wanted to say that, because we only really see Paulina and Star in large group settings - so this is my interpretation of what they might act like behind closed doors.**

 **Thanks to everyone who follows and favorites - special thanks to those who review!!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	10. chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Private Intensity

Second and third hour were as awkward as ever. Paulina didn't dare make eye contact with Star - not after everything she'd done. On top of their most recent fight, the raven haired teen jumped every time the speakers in the classrooms came on, silently hoping it wasn't an administrator calling her to the office. If it was, that meant Star had already told someone about her injured knee, which meant she'd have to talk to someone about it. That thought sent Paulina into a temporary panic, but she managed to calm herself throughout class.

By the time lunch finally rolled around, Paulina was exhausted from everything that morning, and from staying up so late crying the night before. She couldn't bring herself to recall the details of that night. It hadn't even been the worst one, but still, the details were too much for her to delve into - especially at school. Star and Paulina sat next to one another, not saying a word, while Dash and Kwan flirted shamelessly. Eventually, Sam and Tucker walked over, lunch trays in hand. Sitting down, they began to murmur to one another.

"We get it, you two have secrets," Star grumbled, the bags under her eyes more evident.

Sam and Tucker looked up at the blonde, perplexed looks on each of their faces. "We were just...talking," Sam told Star carefully.

"Well, why don't you just talk with Paulina, hmm? Because you three must talk a lot, right?" Star asked critically, avoiding eye contact with Paulina.

"Well—"

"Star, knock it off," Paulina interrupted Sam, who looked like she was ready to start an all out war with the blonde.

A cold laugh fell from Star's lips. "Of course you take their side. After everything—" Star choked up at that point, still not meeting Paulina's eyes. "After everything, you choose them."

"I'm not choosing anyone!" Paulina nearly yelled it, accidentally grabbing the attention of Dash and Kwan. "I'm just...we're just..."

"I get it, really. I've gotta go," Star pulled her bag onto her shoulder, storming out of the cafeteria. Paulina started to get up, only to stopped by Sam, who pulled on her uninjured wrist.

"Let go, freak!" Paulina growled, trying unsuccessfully to pull herself away.

"Paulina, we need to talk," Sam urged, standing up with her hand around the taller girl's wrist. She dragged her into a secluded corner of the cafeteria, cornering her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Paulina snarled, her emotions peaking.

"Look, something is going on between you two, and you can't tell her anything!" Sam hissed the response, leaning towards Paulina defensively.

"I wasn't going to!"

"Well, it sure looked like it. Besides, I'm sure Danny's secret would be able to fix whatever fight you two are having right now."

"We're fighting about Danny's secret," Paulina sighed, crossing her arms and staring intently at Sam. "She's mad because I'm keeping secrets. Happy?"

Sam took a step back, her face falling from anger to confusion. "You mean she's suspicious?"

"Well, she knows something's going on," Paulina huffed. "She's, like, really smart and stuff."

"Really?"

"Yes, she is," Paulina took a small step forward, suddenly defensive of her friend. "She knew something was up on Friday when I found out, but I kept Danny's secret."

Sam nodded, biting her lip nervously. "Ok. Good."

"Good," Paulina sighed. "Are we done here?"

"Not yet," Sam's expression shifted to one of concern. "Um, this morning I saw you and Star. At first I thought you were just talking, but you were...crying..." Sam glanced down at Paulina's left knee. The popular girl's face flushed, suddenly realizing how observant the goth girl was.

"It's nothing," Paulina hissed, trying to push past Sam, but failing due to the girl's stubborn attitude.

"What is it? What's going on?" Sam asked quietly.

"Oh, you think I'd tell you?" Paulina snorted. "Even if something was going on, why the hell would I trust you? All you've done since yesterday is glare at me and tell me how stupid I am. Whatever you saw is none of your damn business."

"Paulina, I think you need help," Sam sighed, avoiding eye contact with the taller girl. Immediately, Paulina's expression hardened, her hands beginning to shake.

"I need help? Really? You've got a half dead friend and you've never taken him to the hospital! Now he's missing, and nobody's doing a thing about it. On top of it all, you have feelings for him, but you're too damn scared to do anything about it. So, is it me who needs help, or you, goth freak?" Paulina snarled this all. She looked intently into Sam's eyes, silently daring her to say something else.

With a sigh, Sam shook her head. "Wow, you're one to talk."

"What the hell does _that_ mean?" Paulina snapped back.

"Oh, so you and Star are really just friends?"

"Of course! What are you getting at?"

"It just seems like there may be something else there—"

"Shut up," Paulina stomped her foot, causing Sam to jump back a bit. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Star and I go way back, that's all there is to it!"

Sam collected herself, taking a deep breath before glaring at Paulina. "Fine. Whatever. I was just worried."

With that, Sam stormed back to the a-lister table, grabbing her things and dragging Tucker behind her out of the cafeteria.

 **Hey guys - I'm back with a new chapter! This one is...average length compared to my other chapters, I think? The next two are gonna be longer (you'll see why soon!)**

 **Anyways, thanks for everyone who reads, favorites, and follows - and an extra special thanks to everyone who reviews!!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	11. chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Mood Swings

That day after school, Paulina was conflicted. Did she go after Star and try to make things right? Did she talk to Sam and Tucker about what had happened that day? Neither of those options felt right, but she hated the alternative - going home to her father. Eventually, she decided that maybe if she was careful, she could avoid her father completely. If she couldn't, she might as well just rip off the bandaid.

The moment Paulina saw the cop car, her skin began to boil. It was parked in her large driveway, right behind her dad's Lincoln. Walking carefully up to her own house, her mind raced, thinking back over the day. Either Star or Sam must have called the cops, which made Paulina feel...weird. She knew deep down that they did it with good intentions, but she also knew what her father was capable of - that scared her more than she'd like to admit.

Walking into the house quietly, Paulina was met with her father laughing and joking with his old friend - sheriff Todd Michael.

"Oh, well hi there Lina!" Todd finished laughing from her father's joke. "Just gettin' home from school?"

"Yeah," Paulina smiled nervously, nodding at the sheriff. "Um, so what's up?"

"Well, we got a few calls about some abuse, I thought I'd come and check it out myself - gives me an excuse to catch up," Todd patted Paulina's father on the shoulder.

"Lina, did your friends prank call the police?" Paulina's father smiled at her - something sheriff Michael would expect from the perfectly loving father he thought Mr. Sanchez was. Only Paulina could notice the menacing glimmer in his eye, daring her to oppose him.

"Yeah, something like that," Paulina laughed hesitantly.

"Well, even so, I've got a few routine questions to ask you alone," the sheriff nodded at Paulina.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it," Paulina's father smirked, giving Paulina one more hard look. "I'll be just upstairs."

He walked upstairs, leaving Paulina and Todd in the giant entry way. Paulina smiled awkwardly at the man, taking a seat on one of the lavish creme colored couches. He took a seat on the couch opposite to her, pulling out a notepad and a a pen.

"So, Lina, these reports said you had severe bruising on your left knee. You mind if I take a look?" Todd asked. Paulina gulped, slowly pulling up her capri leg. As soon as the bruise was visible, the sheriff grunted. "And what's that from?"

"Oh, uh," Paulina remembered her father's words. _Just upstairs_. "I fell yesterday - there was a wet floor in the mall. I got it checked out and everything. My friends were probably just teasing me when they called you, because I'm such a klutz!" She forced a nonchalant laugh, letting the fabric fall back around her injured leg.

The sheriff nodded, continuing to scribble notes in his notepad. He looked back up at Paulina after a few moments, smiling at her. "Sorry about all this - anytime it's multiple reports, we have to do the paperwork. But," he closed his notepad, getting up from the couch, "everything here seems to check out. Besides, your dad and I go way back, I know he wouldn't hurt a fly. You'd better ice that leg of yours, ok Lina?"

Paulina nodded, standing up and feigning relief. "Alright, thank you so much! I was actually just on my way over to Star's, could you let my dad know I'm leaving now?"

"Of course," Todd chuckled, gathering his things. "I'll see you later, Lina."

With one last goodbye, Paulina shouldered her bag and walked outside, her eyes immediately misting. There was a small part of her that had wished the sheriff would seen through the act - catching even just a glimpse. But Todd and her father were old high school buddies. Of course he wouldn't suspect a thing. Without even thinking about it, Paulina wandered towards Star's place, eventually arriving at the door and wiping the tears from her eyes.

A few moments after she knocked on the door, Star herself answered, her eyes red and puffy. "Oh, hi Paulina," she muttered coldly.

"I'm sorry," Paulina trembled as the words left let lips. She shook, leaning herself against the doorway to keep from collapsing right there and then. "You were right, but I...I ruined _everything_."

Star looked at Paulina, her lips trembling. "The police came, didn't they." Paulina nodded in response. "What happened?" Star asked softly, most of the anger gone from her face.

"Can I- can I come in?" Paulina hiccuped, tears now streaming down her face.

Star nodded slowly, letting the raven haired girl wrap her arm around her shoulder and lean on her. The two walked upstairs to Star's room, sitting down on Star's springy bed.

"What happened?" Star breathed lightly. Her room smelt like vanilla bean, and with the shades drawn and her bedroom light off, the entire room had a warm, pinky glow.

"I lied to him," Paulina responded, looking down at her lap.

"Who?"

"The sheriff. They send Todd Michael, who's been friends with my dad since, like, high school," Paulina shook as the words fell from her trembling lips.

"Paulie," Star breathed again, pulling her friend into a tight embrace. "We can fix this. We can go talk to someone else from the station. I'll have my dad drive and—"

"No, please - not again," Paulina sobbed into her friend's shoulder. "They wouldn't believe me anyway."

"We'll make them believe you," Star ran her hand along Paulina's back softly. "We will, I promise you."

Paulina pulled away just enough to be able to see Star's face. She'd started crying again. Slowly, Paulina wiped away a few of the tears. "I can't. _Please_."

Star closed her eyes, bit her lip, and shook her head. "You need to care about yourself, ok?"

Paulina leaned back, looking at her best friend with curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Star stood up, opening her eyes and pacing next to her bed, "that you don't care about yourself. Why can't you see how great you are?"

Paulina stared at her friend, shaking her head slowly. "I...I do care about myself..."

"Then why won't you stand up for yourself? Why don't you try to make things better for yourself?" Star's voice hardened once again. She turned back to Paulina, staring intently at her.

Paulina laughed bitterly, all the built up tension snapping in the pit of her stomach. "Sure, so now it's my fault, right? It's my fault that- that- what, it's all my _fault_?!"

"I didn't say that!" Star yelled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What do you mean then?" Paulina stood up, staring at her best friend.

"Look, Paulina, I just care about you," Star sighed.

"Really? Because with all this gossip drama going on, it sure as hell seems like all you care about is the newest rumor," Paulina snapped back, Sam's words from earlier still swimming in the back of her mind.

Star gasped, taking a small step back. "That's not true!"

"Oh, really?" Paulina took a step forward.

"No, it's not! I do care about you!" Star took a step forward as well, leaving just a foot between the two girls.

"Really? Prove it," Paulina raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed against her chest.

"I- you- ugh!" Star stuttered, throwing her arms around Paulina's neck. Before the raven haired girl could do anything, the blonde pressed her lips to her own.

 **Tada! I've been waiting to write this scene since I started this story. What do you guys think? I'm here for the drama, tbh**

 **I'm gonna try my best to keep updating daily, but I can't make any promises, as always**

 **Thanks to everyone who reads, follows, and favorites - a special thanks to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	12. chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Hidden Aftermath

Star's lips were soft and gentle - and _warm_. She had strawberry lip gloss on. She smelled like vanilla and lavender, and her hands carefully laced themselves through Paulina's long, raven hair. Paulina - as shocked as she was - couldn't help but notice the small details of the moment. Right away, her eyes remained wide open, but they slowly closed after a moment. She'd kissed plenty of guys, but kissing Star was so...different. She was softer - gentler. Her fingers weren't hungry or gripping, but simply guiding Paulina's head towards her's. Her nose brushed against Paulina's gently, sending shivers down the slightly taller girl's spine.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Paulina could hear her mother's voice scolding her. _Dyke_ , her choice in words haunted the teen. But, the rest of her fell silent, moving instinctively in tune with Star. Paulina's arms wrapped around her friend's neck, resting there comfortably and warmly. She began to kiss back, the warm feeling of Star's breath sinking into the back of her throat. It wasn't intense or desperate; it was a caring, tender act that warmed Paulina to the core.

Slowly, the kiss fizzled and broke, leaving the two girls panting, their faces just inches apart. Star offered Paulina a small smile, brushing a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Wow," the blonde breathed. Her breath smelled like mint and strawberry.

"I—" Paulina began, entranced in Star's big blue eyes. Before she could say anything else, reality broke around her like shattering glass, reminding her of where she was. Taking a step back and untangling her hands from Star's hair, Paulina smiled sheepishly at her friend. "I don't know what...uh..."

Star's face fell, her eyes tinged with sadness. "Oh. Um, right. I'm, uh, sorry. I guess in the heat of the moment—"

"Yeah! Yeah, we're both just heated and emotional," Paulina forced an awkward smile. "It didn't- it didn't mean anything...right?"

Star caught her breath, smiling with her mouth, but not with her eyes. "Yeah, it was just a bad mistake."

Paulina nodded, looking at her friend once more. Something in the pit of her stomach burned, and she didn't know if it was relief or disappointment. It felt more like disappointment, but that didn't make sense. Her and Star were just friends. They'd always just been friends - so why couldn't Paulina shake the butterflies flapping in her stomach?

"I should get going, probably..." Paulina breathed the words, looking at her friend tenderly.

"Of course. I'll, um, see you tomorrow?" Star asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Paulina smiled. She turned to walk out of her friend's room before turning back. "We're ok, aren't we?"

Star feigned a smile. "Of course, Paulie."

With that, Paulina headed home, still limping slightly on her left leg. When she got back to her house, she managed to sneak upstairs without her father noticing - one of the perks of living in a giant house. Plopping down on her bed, she pulled out her phone, scrolling mindlessly through Instagram. She ended up liking a few loser's photos, as her mind wasn't fully in it. A part of her was still at Star's house, holding her friend closer than a friend should be held. Her cheeks flushed at the warmth she felt in her stomach just thinking of it. Eventually, she scrolled all the way down to one of Star's most recent selfies. She had her chin rested on her hand, smiling widely with her face towards the sunlight. She radiated beauty and happiness, her eyes squinting from be light. The caption below it read 'Learn to step into the sun' - no doubt a quote from one of the many musicals Star loved to listen to. It was her guilty pleasure - curling up with a musical bootleg and a cup of hot apple cider. With a sigh, Paulina turned off her phone, plugging it in and getting ready for bed.

The next day started out ok enough. Star and Paulina walked to school together, giggling aimlessly at the newest piece of Casper High gossip. Star had apparently decided not to bring up the previous night, and Paulina followed suit. Eventually, the two made it to the school, heading to their respective first hour classes. The first three hours of the day flew by like any normal day, which was a nice change from the recent events. Lunch was, for the first time that week, somewhat calm. Sam and Tucker still murmured amongst themselves, but Star pretended not to notice. Still, there was an air of tension among the a-listers. Dash and Kwan eyed Paulina and Sam skeptically, flirting far less than they had previously. Star and Paulina pretended to be back to normal, despite the crushing weight Paulina felt against her chest every time she looked at her best friend. Sam eyed Paulina skeptically, and Tucker was hopelessly oblivious, happily eating his lunch and reprogramming his PDA.

The rest of the school day came and went uneventfully, leaving Paulina anxious. She hadn't had a day this calm since she'd found out about Danny. As the popular girl dug through her locker at the end of the day, she could hear Sam and Tucker approaching slowly, their hushed tones not quite quiet enough.

"Are you sure she's ok?" Tucker asked, his voice carrying a degree of seriousness.

"I don't know. I didn't expect for her to be so...human," Sam spoke softly. "The only reason I agreed to sit with them at lunch was to keep an eye on her. I didn't expect for it to go so far."

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked.

"I just..." Sam trailed off. "It's like the more I look at them, the less shallow they all seem, you know? I didn't expect that. It's kinda creepy."

"Creepy? I think it's awesome!" Paulina could practically hear the smile in Tucker's voice.

"It would be awesome if their problems weren't so...so _serious_ ," Sam sighed. "Especially Paulina's. I reported it to the police, but I don't think they even did anything. I just feel so bad..."

Paulina bit her lip, slamming her locker door shut and turning towards Sam and Tucker. "Oh, hi guys, I didn't see you there," Paulina feigned surprise.

"Hey, we need to talk," Tucker gave her a pitying smile. "Why don't we all head back to Sam's place?"

Paulina looked around, scanning the hallway for Star. When she didn't find her, she sighed, turning back to Sam and Tucker. "Sure..." she groaned, mentally preparing herself for another emotionally draining conversation. "Let's go."

 **Hey guys! So sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was in bed sick all day, and didn't really feel up to writing .**

 **BUT, I'm back and feeling (slightly) better! The next chapter is gonna be a little shorter, but more eventful than this kinda filler chapter. More than anything, this one and (sort of) the next one are setting up some future dramas**

 **Thanks a ton to everyone who reads, follows, and favorites - an extra special thanks to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	13. chapter 13

Chapter 13 - Forbidden Forgiveness

The walk back to Sam's house was painfully awkward. Tucker tried to make small talk, only to be shut down by either Paulina or Sam. By the time the three made it into the goth's bedroom, the tension between them was palpable. Again, Tucker and Sam sat together on Sam's bed, and Paulina sat on the same beanbag she had just two days earlier.

"So, you guys wanted to talk?" Paulina asked softly, looking down at her lap.

"We—" Sam choked on the single word, avoiding the other teen's eyes. "We still don't know where Danny is..."

Paulina looked up at the goth girl, biting her lip nervously. "I thought you said—"

"I know what I said!" Sam snapped.

"Sam, calm down!" Tucker hushed his friend, patting her back.

"I- I'm sorry," Paulina whispered, still partially in shock. "His parents, are they...?"

"They think he's been at my place, working for the last few nights on a project or something..." Tucker explained.

"That's a lame excuse," Paulina noted.

"Yeah, well, they bought it," Tucker's shoulders slumped. "This is bad, ya know? He's never been gone this long before..."

Paulina took another look between the two grief stricken friends. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Because—" Sam's hard tone softened a bit with a sigh, "you're a part of team Phantom too, now...and you need to know this."

Paulina looked between Tucker and Sam, nodding solemnly. "What can I do?"

"What do you mean?" Sam's violet eyes snapped up.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Paulina asked, fiddling with her pink shirt nervously.

"What the hell makes you think—" Sam started.

"No, we have to just wait for right now," Tucker cut his friend off, sighing lightly. "Thanks, though. It- it means a lot..." he smiled shyly at Paulina. The popular girl nodded, smiling back.

The three talked for a bit more about nothing in particular. In the back of her mind, Paulina kept replaying the conversation she'd overheard between the two geeks. She managed to keep her myriad of questions from coming out of her lips with difficulty, choosing to instead focus on the problem at hand. After about an hour or so, Paulina finally made some lame excuse to leave, claiming she had to do homework. She shouldered her bag and walked out of the goth's room, only to be stopped by Sam.

"Hey, wait up," Sam touched Paulina's shoulder gently. The taller girl turned around slowly, looking down skeptically.

"What is it?" Paulina asked impatiently. Before she could do anything else, Sam enveloped her in a loose hug. The taller teen stiffened for a moment before allowing herself to relax slightly. _She's not going to hurt me._

"I'm sorry I was so mean to you. I didn't know..." Sam trailed off, squeezing tighter.

"You...why are you doing this?" Paulina asked, beginning to stiffen once again, her arms still at her sides.

"Because I judged you, and I shouldn't have. I really do want you to be a part of team Phantom. It's just hard to let people in. For so long it's just been Danny, Tuck, Jazz and I. But you're a part of this too," Sam spoke softly while she continued to hold Paulina in a gentle embrace.

"I...I'm sorry," Paulina breathed softly, wrapping her arms around Sam and hugging her back. Her eyes began to mist. "I'm sorry I treated you so badly too..."

After another moment, Sam unwrapped her arms from around Paulina, taking a step back. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly - a trait she no doubt had picked up from Danny.

"You know, you can work on homework here - with Tucker and I. He's a mega math whiz, you know..." Sam trailed off.

Paulina smiled at Sam. With a start, she realized that she actually looked forward to getting to know the goth girl better. "Yeah, I'd like that."

 **I almost wasn't able to post this today, but here you guys go! This one's a little shorter again, and a bit more of a filler. I'll make the next few super interesting (which they're gonna be anyways, but still!!)**

 **Anyways! What do you guys think so far? I have a few options for where to go from here, but I'm still not ready to wrap it up quite yet...so we'll see**

 **Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows - a super special thanks to everyone who reviews!!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	14. chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Unfavored Friendships

The rest of the week went by uneventfully compared to the beginning. The a-lister's lunch table slowly got less and less awkward. Sam and Tucker seemed to open up to everyone upon realizing that the popular kids were people with problems too. Star and Paulina's conversations still held a fair amount of tension, but neither of the girls talked about it. They just continued to gush over gossip, refusing to be alone together.

Slowly, things started to fit into a rhythm. Paulina did homework with Sam and Tucker after school for the rest of the week. To her surprise, they were actually pretty cool. Sure, they were also geeky and awkward, but soon enough Paulina realized everyone was. Sam and Tucker just learned to embrace it. The popular girl could learn a lesson or two from them.

Despite the teens' efforts, nobody could find Danny, and his parents - despite their stupidity - were starting to get suspicious. Jazz had gone to Wisconsin where apparently team Phantom's biggest enemy lived. Upon hearing it was Vlad Masters, Paulina began to wonder about her own father. She knew he worked closely with Masters from time to time on contract deals; had her father ever helped Masters terrorize Amity Park? The thought haunted her, but she managed to push it aside. She had enough on her plate trying to catch up with Sam and Tucker's ghost knowledge.

That weekend, Tucker sent Paulina an eerily mysterious text - _The old train tracks by the mill at 12:30, bring gloves_. Despite how much the techno-geek sounded like a murderer, Paulina complied, bringing with her a pair of black leather gloves. She managed to sneak past her father, as she had somehow managed to do the last few days. After a fifteen minute walk, she finally arrived at the abandoned train tracks, immediately spotting Sam and Tucker.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Paulina asked, her gloves hanging out of her jean capris lazily.

"Well, we thought we'd help you start training," Tucker smiled at her. As she came to a stop a few feet from the two, Paulina noticed that they each had a large black duffel bag laying at their feet.

"Training?" Paulina asked.

"Yeah, when Danny comes back, there might be a fight," Sam explained. Looking the goth over, Paulina realized how much Danny's disappearance had taken a toll on her. She had dark purple bags under her bloodshot eyes, and her hair was a mess, thrown back in a messy bun rather than its usual half-pony. On top of that, she was wearing a pair of fuzzy skeletal pajama pants and an oversized MCR t-shirt, which was quite different than her typical ensemble.

"Ok. What's in the bags?" Paulina asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Sam smirked a little, bending down and unzipping the duffel bag by her feet gingerly. Slowly, she pulled out a large ecto-gun, wielding it over her shoulder and aiming at a moldy piece of wood on the ground. She pulled the trigger, blasting the wood to pieces. Sam turned back to Paulina, the tip of the gun still smoking. "Ready to learn how to be a ghost fighter?"

Paulina smirked at her new friend, nodding eagerly. "Um, duh!"

Tucker unzipped his bag, and the two ghost hunters started unpacking the various weapons. How they both managed to keep this all from their parents, Paulina had no clue. By the time they finally laid out all the ecto-weapons, Paulina had counted about thirty various gadgets, all silver with green accents. The sizes ranged from as large as the gun slung over Sam's shoulder, which was at least three feet long and one foot around, to as small as something the side of a lipstick tube.

"Woah," Paulina breathed, looking at the array of weapons.

"So...which one do you wanna start with?" Tucker asked, obviously amused by Paulina's excitement. Looking up at the techno-geek, Paulina grinned, eyeing the line of weapons. _This should be fun_.

After what felt like five minutes but turned out to be three hours, Paulina felt like a million bucks. She understood why Sam and Tucker had told her to bring gloves - the weapons got hot after a few shots and probably would've burned her if not for the layer of protection. She shot giant weapons, practiced with six inch blades, and even threw various sized nets. She was covered in sweat and ectoplasmic goo, which wasn't a great look for her, but she managed by pulling her long black tresses into a high pony. After she tried every weapon, Tucker and Sam looked at her expectantly.

"Well? Which one do you want?" Sam asked, smiling at Paulina.

"I- which one do I want? What do you mean?" Paulina asked softly.

"Well, when we started helping Danny more and more, Tucker and I chose a weapon," Sam explained. "I chose Rex here - that's what I call him."

"I chose Barb," Tucker patted his watch, smiling down at it. "Well, after I modified her into a watch, that is..."

"Look, you're a part of our team now, and you need a weapon too," Sam smiled encouragingly at Paulina.

Looking back at the line of weapons, her eyes were immediately drawn to one of the smaller ones. It was a plain silver handle with a glowing green button. Walking over to it, Paulina bent down and picking it up, she weighed it in her right hand, fiddling with the button a bit before pressing it. The moment she pressed it, a long string of glowing green energy shot from it, coiling around her arm, but not touching it. With one fluid movement, she whipped it, causing a tiny green fire to spring from the ground in front of her. She let a shaking breath out, the smile on her face widening.

"Perfect," Paulina breathed, letting the whip coil around her arm once again.

After helping Tucker and Sam pack up, Paulina shoved the handle into her bag before saying goodbye and heading home. She figured she could sneak past her father again, but that plan was thrown out the window the second Paulina walked up to her house.

Sitting there was none other than Star. Her hair was a mess, her makeup was showing some serious breakage, and she was leaning against the side of the side of Paulina's house limply.

"Star?" Paulina asked, rushing to her friend's side and kneeling next to her. Instantly, the smell of alcohol hit her; Star was drunk.

"Oh, hey Paulie!" Star slurred, smiling at Paulina while her head swayed.

 **Psa y'all - don't do the underage drinking think, ok? It's just a bad idea (which I only added in Bc it happens irl but don't do it)**

 **Anyways! This one felt a little filler-y, but less so than the last. Don't worry, next chapter is gonna ramp up to some serious drama - I'm super excited!!**

 **Thank you to everyone who follows, favorites, and reads - thanks a super lot to everyone who reviews!!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	15. chapter 15

Chapter 15 - Closing Empty Space

Paulina helped steady Star, who was swaying dangerously back and forth. "Star," the raven haired girl said through gritted teeth, "it's, like, five thirty. Why were you drinking? Why are you here?"

"I'm just stressed!" Star laughed, throwing her arms around Paulina. "Jess had a bottle of vodka; she invited Allie and I over."

"In the middle of the day? On a Saturday?" Paulina asked, trying to keep Star from undoing Paulina's high pony.

"Yeah," Star smiled at Paulina, still swaying in her seated position.

Paulina looked back at her house, shivering at the thought of bringing Star in there. Knowing her father, he might not stop at his daughter. She thought about bringing Star back to her house, but she knew her parents would be livid. With a deep breath, Paulina realized where she could bring Star without getting either of them in trouble. Helping her friend up, she started to walk them towards Sam's house carefully.

"Where are we going?" Star slurred, leaning heavily against Paulina. She hiccuped before tangling her clammy fingers through her friend's raven hair.

"We're going to a friend's place," Paulina said, trying to keep her friend's fingers out of her hair.

"What's this green stuff?" Star asked, picking tiny pieces of ectoplasmic goo from her hair.

"It's nothing. C'mon, let's go," Paulina whispered to her friend, dragging her along slowly. After a few more blocks, the two girls finally made it to the Manson house. Opening her phone, Paulina called Sam's cell phone, waiting a few moments before she finally picked up.

"Hey Paulina, what's up?" Sam asked.

"I'm, um, outside your house? Star's with me. She's drunk and I just didn't know where to take her and—" Paulina started to ramble.

"Woah, hang on a sec. You didn't know where to take your drunk friend, so you brought her here? Are you kidding me?" Sam's tone shifted to one of frustration.

"Look, I can't bring her to her place! Her parents would freak. And I can't take her to my place either..." Paulina trailed off.

"Who are you talking to, Paulie?" Star slurred to her friend.

"A friend," Paulina answered the blonde hastily before turning her attention back to her phone. "Look, Sam, can I bring her in? Please?"

Sam sighed heavily from the other end of the line. "Sure, we can bring her up to my room, I'll be at the door in a sec," she hung up. A few moments later, the goth girl opened the door, eyeing Star skeptically. "Follow me upstairs - quick, before my parents hear you."

Paulina nodded, helping Star stumble up the carpeted stairs carefully. Once they reached the bedroom, Sam shut the door behind them. Paulina hauled Star over to Sam's bed, letting her lay down.

"Paulie, come lay with me," Star moaned, motioning to an empty spot next to her in Sam's bed.

"No, shh, please just sleep," Paulina shushed her friend, pushing the hair from her face. She pulled the small garabage can from the corner of the bedroom, setting it on the bed next to her blonde friend. "If you need to throw up, use this, ok?"

"Yeah," Star hiccuped, smiling lazily at Paulina. "Oh, Paulie?"

"Yeah?" Paulina asked, smiling gently down at her friend.

"Come closer," Star whispered. Paulina kneeled next to the bed. "Closer," Star giggled. Paulina leaned in until their faces were just a few inches apart.

"What is it?" Paulina asked softly.

Star reached out and rubbed circles with her thumb on Paulina's right cheek. "It wasn't the heat of the moment..."

"What wasn't?" Paulina asked.

"When we kissed - I've...Ive wanted to do that for a long time. It wasn't a mistake," Star smiled at the raven haired girl, blinking her watery eyes. "I need you to know that I love you."

Paulina looked at her friend, her stomach tying itself in knots. With a sigh, she pushed herself back, letting Star's hands drop to the side of the bed. "Get some sleep, ok?"

"Ok," Star sighed dreamily, turning over and curling up into the fetal position.

Paulina got up, turning towards Sam, who was standing by the closed door with her arms crossed in front of her. The slightly taller girl tightened her pony tail, running her fingers through her messy hair and wiping the leftover goo on her already dirty pants.

"Thanks," Paulina looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the goth.

"It's...fine," Sam sighed, taking a step towards Paulina and drawing her eyes up. "My parents won't find out; they don't come to my room after they found the vampire bat."

"You have a bat?" Paulina asked, gaping at her.

"Well, used to, but that's not the point," Sam brushed off the question. "I just...thanks, I guess..."

"Thanks? For what?"

"For trusting me, I guess," Sam said, once again using Danny's old habit of scratching the back of his neck. "I don't know, that's stupid I guess..."

"No, not stupid," Paulina said, wringing her hands awkwardly in front of her.

"About you and Star..." Sam trailed off. "I mean, is everything ok?"

Paulina sighed, walking over to the black bean bag chair in the corner of the room and sitting down. Sam followed suit, taking a seat on a bat shaped fluffy chair near the bean bag.

"I don't know..." Paulina fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "Did you- did you hear what she said?"

"Um, kinda, yeah," Sam answered, smiling nervously. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Paulina breathed out. "I just...I never thought about her and I like that, you know?"

"You sure about that?" Sam asked curiously.

Paulina pondered that thought, thinking back to all the times the two girls had spent time together. Sometimes, she did catch herself staring at Star. She was beautiful, after all - and smart, and kind, and amazing, and—

Maybe Paulina _had_ thought about her ' _like that_ '. That thought terrified her; her mother had always insisted that Star...wasn't straight. She'd urged Paulina to stay away. Now, there she was, catching herself once again staring at her best friend. Star's long blonde hair was spread across the bed in tangles. Her mouth hung open, and she wheezed lightly in her sleep. Every once in a while, she kicked or turned over, mumbling softly. With a start, Paulina realized how much she loved her friend - possibly even as more than a friend.

"I don't know," Paulina sighed, finally answering Sam's question as she turned her gaze back to her. "Maybe? I just...I can't be with her."

"Why not?" Sam asked cautiously.

"I just- what if it doesn't work out and...and I ruin our friendship?" Paulina took a shaking breath. "I mean, I know I'm an a-lister and all, but that doesn't really mean much. Ever since I can remember, Star has been my only real friend. I can't risk her..."

Sam reached across and grabbed Paulina's hand. "Hey, Tuck and I are your real friends too. Even if you did lose Star - which I highly doubt would happen - you'd still have us. Besides, you never know what you might be missing out on trying to protect yourself."

Paulina squeezed Sam's hand before pulling away. "Wow, you're good at this advice thing. Maybe...maybe you should take some of your own," Paulina smirked at the goth girl, who's face immediately reddened.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, c'mon," Paulina smirked, "you and Danny? I've seen the way you two look at each other. You're into him, and he's into you. Star and I actually had a running joke that you guys were screwing."

"Um, what the hell?" Sam sputtered, staring at Paulina for another moment before breaking out in laughter. "Why the hell would that even be funny?!"

Paulina laughed along with her new friend. "I don't know, it just was I guess."

"Ok, well, we weren't," Sam said when she managed to get her laughter under control.

"Whatever you say," Paulina winked at Sam, causing her to blush even further and burry her face in her hands.

With a smile, Paulina found herself hoping that Sam was right. She had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Sam and Tucker might actually be her friends, but what else would you call someone who lets you and your drunk friend show up unannounced? Paulina was sure any of her other 'friends' from the a-listers (excluding Star, of course) wouldn't. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Paulina leaned back and let herself relax into the new friendship.

 **Again - no underage drinking!! It's a bad idea, y'all.**

 **Anyways, what do you guys think? I'm really excited about the next few turns this story is gonna take - I hope you guys are too!**

 **Thanks - as always - to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows. An extra special thanks to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	16. chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Budding Jealousy

Paulina woke up the next morning in a darkly lit room. Despite the bat shaped clock on the dresser reading 11:01am, the only light in the room was the deep purple glow coming from what looked like a lamp made out of amethyst. She turned in bed, coming face to face with Star - complete with hair covering her face and mascara residue under her closed eyes. With a start, Paulina remembered why both of them were there in Sam's room. The popular raven haired girl sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and trying to remember what had happened the night before. She remembered helping Star to Sam's place and bringing her into bed. After that, Paulina and Sam must have stayed up late talking. Looking around, she found Sam curled in the fetal position, sleeping away on the black bean bag chair in the corner of her own room. Apparently Paulina had taken the bed with Star, but she must have been too tired to remember it the next morning.

Swinging her legs over the bed, Paulina got up, carefully sliding the light switch up half way and giving the room a little bit of light. With a groan, Star stirred, kicking at the black and purple comforter.

"Turn off the lights," the blonde groaned, spitting hair from her mouth as she spoke.

Walking slowly over to her friend, Paulina crouched next to the bed, brushing pieces of hair from her face. She remembered her and Sam's conversation the night before, the thought bringing a small smile to her face. "Hey girlie, time to get up," Paulina whispered softly.

"Hmmm," Star started to turn away, but Paulina grabbed her shoulders to stop her. This seemed to catch the hungover girl's attention, as she quickly turned back and flung her eyes open. "Ah! Paulina!"

"Shh, she's still sleeping," Paulina motioned to Sam, who let out a soft snore as if to prove the point.

"I- how did I- oh my god why is it so loud in here," Star groaned, rubbing her temples.

"It's not - you're just hungover," Paulina smiled at her friend. "You showed up at my place yesterday, and I brought you here so you wouldn't get in trouble with your parents."

"Oh," Star's voice was small as she looked around the goth's bedroom. "So, you and Sam are close friends then?"

"Not as close as we are, but we're friends," Paulina explained calmly, watching a look of relief wash over her friend's face.

"Oh, good. I mean, not like I was worried or anything," the blonde feigned nonchalance with a thankful smile.

"Mmh," Sam groaned, sitting up on the bean bag chair. Her hair on the right side of her head stuck straight up, and her under eye bags were just as bad as the day before.

"Hey Sam," Paulina said, turning back to the goth girl and offering her a small smile.

"Hey guys, have you been up long?" Sam yawned and stretched as she spoke.

"Nah, we just got up a few minutes ago," Paulina said, turning back to Star, who was just trying to get up. "How're you doing Star?"

Star sighed, sitting up and rubbing her temples once again. "I don't know...tired?"

"Here, I'll go make us some coffee," Sam smiled at the other two girls, getting up and padding down stairs quietly. The moment she was gone, Star grabbed Paulina's arm, drawing the raven haired girl's attention back to her.

"What the hell happened last night?" Star asked in a hushed tone, her blue eyes wide with regret. "I don't...I _can't_ remember."

"Oh, uh," Paulina began, feeling her face heat up. "Well, when we brought you back to here, we just talked for a little while, then you fell asleep."

"Oh," Star paused, considering what to say next. "Did we talk about anything interesting?"

Paulina smiled at Star, that hot butterfly feeling sparking in the pit of her stomach once again. Paulina sank to her knees so that she was eye level with her friend, smiling at her slowly. Sam's advice lingered in the back of her head while she grabbed Star's hand.

"I just...we talked about- about mistakes," Paulina looked at her friend with tenderness.

"Oh? Like what?" Star seemed to pick up on Paulina's contemplative tone.

"About, well...about the other night and- and stuff..." Paulina brushed a strand of blonde hair out of Star's face. Star looked at Paulina, mouth hanging just slightly open. Slowly, their faces moved closer, and the blonde's breath tickled Paulina's upper lip.

"Oh? It was a mistake?" Star asked with a knowing smirk.

"I don't think so..." Paulina leaned in even closer, their lips just an inch apart.

"Ahem," Sam cleared her throat at the door, causing Paulina and Star to pull apart quickly. "I have, uh, coffee?" the goth girl smiled awkwardly, holding up a large grey thermos in one hand, and three stackable mugs in the other.

"Um, thanks Sam!" Paulina laughed, trying to ease the tension. "Do you, ah, have any creamer?"

"Oh! Yeah, I already put some in - it's vanilla," Sam smiled, closing the door behind her. She set the thermos down on her nightstand, handing out a mug to the other two teens. "I also put a little sugar in it. I can't drink it black."

"Me neither," Paulina smiled gratefully at Sam, pouring some coffee in her mug and taking a small sip. Star followed suit, taking a sip and letting a tiny smile creep onto her face.

"Oh, this is the expensive shit, isn't it?" Star asked, causing both Paulina and Sam to laugh. "What? My parents always buy the cheap stuff - they say we have more important things to spend money on!"

"I mean, I'd probably buy the cheap stuff too if I did the shopping - donate the rest to PETA, ya know? But my parents do the shopping," Sam shrugged, smiling at Star, who looked between Paulina and the goth skeptically before letting her hard look soften.

"Yeah, I get it," the blonde smiled, taking another small sip of the hot coffee.

After the three finished their coffee, Star seemed to be feeling quite a bit better. Sam let her take a shower in the connecting bathroom in her room, afterwards borrowing her a pair of black sweatpants and an oversized grey sweatshirt.

"You're sure you don't need these back?" Star asked, looking down at her borrowed clothes once more.

"Nah, it's ok. I've got so many pairs of sweatpants, and I don't wear grey anymore - it's not dark enough," Sam explained.

"Well, thanks!" Star smiled at the goth, grabbing her phone and the clothes she'd worn the day before. "I, uh, really appreciate it. I know I've been a pain, but thanks for letting me crash here."

"Of course, it's no problem," Sam smiled at Star, offering her a sincere nod.

"I'll walk you home," Paulina said to her friend, tightening her high pony - which she'd redone since the day prior - and wiping the green goo residue onto her pants afterwards. "I'll see you later Sam?" she looked at the goth.

"Sure, see ya," Sam nodded once again, watching the two girls leave.

"Well, that was...weird," Star giggled, looping her arm through Paulina's.

"Yeah, but isn't she kinda chill? Like, I was expecting her to be a major loser, but she's not?" Paulina looked at her friend, who beamed back at her.

"Yeah, she seems cool, I get why you two are friends," Star beamed. "And...I'm glad we're - _friends_."

"Me too," Paulina said, marveling at the way the sun caught Star's freshly washed hair. She smelled like Sam's black currant scented body wash; Paulina missed her usual strawberry and vanilla smell.

The two continued to walk the few blocks back to Star's place, laughing about little things like Dash and Kwan's latest snap stories.

"I can't believe they took videos of themselves vaping! Do you think the principle will expel them?" Star laughed.

"Nah, they've done, like, _way_ worse and gotten away with it," Paulina laughed along with her friend, their arms still looped through one another's. At that point, they finally reached Star's house. They turned to face one another, Paulina smiling at her best friend.

"So, it wasn't a mistake, then?" Star asked, blinking her big blue eyes slowly.

"No, it wasn't," Paulina cupped Star's face in her hands, rubbing soft circles on her cheeks with her thumbs. "I never thought it was."

With that, the two girls kissed, Star looping her arms around the slightly taller girl's neck and playing with the baby hairs hanging out of her high pony. That hot feeling filled Paulina's stomach once again. She could feel Star's warm breath in the back of her throat. As they broke apart, the blonde's expression shifting to one of confusion.

"What is it?" Paulina asked carefully, her eyebrows knitting together in worry.

"What's this green stuff?" Star pulled her fingers from behind Paulina's head, studying the ectoplasmic goo and looking back up at Paulina with worried eyes.

 **Sorry it took me so long to update - again! I'm having trouble with the next chapter (I like to have the next chapter written before I post) so I decided to just upload this one and finish the next one tomorrow.**

 **I got a really interesting comment that got be thinking! ImaginativeGeek was wondering where Danny was in this story - which makes sense Bc in the description I said he'd be a main character. That was back when I had a totally different plot line than I do now. BUT! This comment got me thinking that I really would like to add Danny into the mix, and I've figured out a way to! Now I'm just trying to put it all together, so I may take a bit longer to post the next few chapters, but I plan on getting back to posting daily soon!**

 **Thanks again to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows. Super special thanks to everyone who reviews!!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	17. chapter 17

Chapter 17 - Momentary Friendship

Paulina looked at Star, a look of shock no doubt written across her face. "I- uh—" the raven haired teen stammered.

"Paulie, what the hell is going on?" Star asked quietly, still looking down at her goo covered fingers.

"It's just...it's not important," Paulina avoided eye contact with her friend, instead looking down at her feet.

"You're in trouble, aren't you? This looks like that weird ghost stuff," Star huffed, trying unsuccessfully to flick it off her fingers. "This has to have something to do with Danny, doesn't it?"

"I- you know I can't tell you that..." Paulina looked back up at her friend with sad eyes.

"Yeah. Ok, whatever," Star wiped her hand on the side of her house, leaving a glowing green residue. She took a few steps towards her house before Paulina grabbed her wrist, causing the blonde to turn back.

"Wait. I just...I don't know. I wish I could tell you - I really do," Paulina spoke quietly to her friend.

"Then just tell me!" Star nearly yelled, causing Paulina to flinch away. "What kind of secret can't you talk about?"

"It's...it's a big deal," Paulina whispered. "And I can't tell you because you- you could get hurt."

"What about you? What about your safety?" Star asked, her eyes beginning to mist over lightly.

"Please, Star—" Paulina began.

"Just leave me alone," Star pulled her arm from her friend's grasp, storming inside her own house and slamming the door.

Of course, it was still a Sunday. It was the weekend and Paulina couldn't bring herself to try to talk to Star and hurt her even more. She couldn't force herself into Sam's house again, which meant she had to go home. That thought alone filled her with dread. She'd been so lucky the last few days - the kind of luck that faded fast. Unfortunately, Paulina's hunch was right.

The moment Paulina stepped into her house, her father was there, staring at her with those big, bloodshot eyes.

"Where have you been?" he asked in a low, sinister voice.

"I was- I was out," Paulina stammered, closing the door gently behind her and shuffling back against it.

"Out? Where," he asked, his voice hardening even further.

"At- at a f- friend's," Paulina began to shake. She recognized her father's tone. She knew what was going to happen next. She'd lived it far too many times.

Paulina's father took a few quick steps forward, grabbing both of her wrists too tightly and bringing them above her head. He slammed her wrists forcefully into the door, causing her to flinch back and hit her head.

"You slut. You were probably out sleeping with the football team," he sneered at her, unintentionally spitting in her face.

"No, I swear I wasn't," Paulina's voice started to shake while the rest of her body shivered, the cold of the door seeping through her clothes. "Please, I was just hanging out with my friends."

"Liar!" her father pulled her wrists back and slammed them again into the door. Paulina whimpered, her left wrist throbbing. It still wasn't fully healed from the week before.

"Please, just let me go!" Paulina whimpered, tears beginning to collect in her eyes.

Her father laughed, pulling her across the room by her injured wrist and throwing her down on the small couch in the entryway. "Lina," he took a few more steps towards her, looking down at her with that same evil glimmer in his eye. Paulina closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face and collection at her chin. Biting her shaking lip, she drew her limbs closer to the center of her body and prepared for the worst.

Just her luck - she got the worst.

 **Hey everyone! Again, sorry for taking a bit to update, but here you go! I know it's a really short chapter compared to the last few, but I rlly wanted to post today, which actually leads me to my next question.**

 **Would you guys prefer to have daily - but shorter - chapters? Or longer and probably every other day chapters? Leave a review and lemme know!!**

 **Also, @ImaginativeGeek, you definitely weren't too aggressive! I'm actually rlly glad you said something bc I'm a lot happier with the plot line now that I've renovated it. Also, @Invader Johnny, I did get your review and PM, thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews, they really do motivate me to keep posting!**

 **Thanks, as always, to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows - an extra special thank you to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	18. chapter 18

Chapter 18 - A New Beginning

That night, Paulina's dreams seemed to reflect the mood of her life, shifting quickly from a somewhat pleasant, warm dream to a cold and frigid nightmare.

It started with Star. She was sitting on her bed, Paulina laying her head on her friend's lap. Star was fiddling mindlessly with her long raven hair, braiding small strands and unraveling them.

"I'm so glad you told me," Star breathed the words gently, leaning down and kissing Paulina on the forehead.

"Me too," Paulina beamed up at her best friend, grabbing her hand and squeezing lightly. Just then, the sun shining through the window darkened, causing both girls to look up quickly. Paulina pushed herself into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around Star instinctively.

Crashing through the window, Danny Phantom tumbled across the floor, landing limply on his back. Paulina gasped, getting up to try and help him, but Star pulled her back to the bed.

"What're you doing?" Paulina asked, struggling to get out up but being held down by her best friend.

"Don't," Star looked at her with a dangerous glance.

"But—" Paulina began, only to be cut off by another ghost coming in the window. This one, she didn't quite recognize. It looked like a girl with long black hair that faded to brilliant red. Her eyes glowed radioactive green. She wore a bright green crop top and a pair of stark white pants that faded to a dark silver color. Her face was structured and defined, her cheekbones higher than most. If she had an older looking face, Paulina knew who she would look like...

With a start, Paulina blinked at the ghost. "...Mom?" she asked slowly.

"Why hi there, Lina," the younger, ghostly version of Paulina's mother smiled slyly at her. She floated down towards her daughter, running a long, manicured finger under the younger girl's chin. "That's your friend, huh?"

Paulina turned towards Danny, who groaned from the floor where he was laying. She turned back to her 'mother', blinking the tears from her eyes and opening her mouth slowly. "I- sort of..."

"Paulina!" Star gasped from next to her. "You told me we were friends!"

"Well, sure, but Danny could be too," Paulina tried to explain.

"You told me his secret though," Star laughed slowly. "He hates you now!"

Paulina started to argue, only to be interrupted by a gloved hand grabbing her jaw and turning her head. Where her ghostly mother had once been, she now found herself eye to eye with Danny Phantom, who's eyes were just as hard and cold as her father's. When she blinked, he transformed into Danny Fenton - all except for the glowing green eyes. Paulina snuck a glance over to where he'd previously been laying on the floor, finding her mother there instead.

"I hate you," Danny spoke intensely, tightening his grip on her jaw. "You ruined everything."

"I didn't mean to!" Paulina gasped, clawing at Danny's hand in an attempt to loosen his grip. "Please - my mom, I need to help her."

"Her mom!" Star called from the ground where Paulina's mother lay. The raven haired girl shifted her eyes, catching another glimpse of her mother, who Star was crouching over. "She's dead. You killed her."

Paulina shifted her gaze back to Danny, her eyes misting over again. "You killed my mother?"

"She wasn't talking to me; you killed your mother," Danny smirked at her.

"No, I didn't- I would never—"

"You killed her," Star and Danny spoke in chilling unison. "You killed her."

"And now, it's your turn," Danny laughed, putting his other hand around her throat, preparing himself to twist.

With a start, Paulina sat straight up in her bed, the darkness scaring her more than she'd like to admit. She screamed, scrambling out of bed and towards the light switch. The minute she turned on the lights, she sank to the ground, a shaking sob springing from her chapped lips. After taking a few minutes to calm down, it finally registered within her that it was all a dream. Her mother wasn't dead, Star didn't hate her, and Danny wasn't going to kill her.

Despite the fact that it was five in the morning, Paulina got up and started getting ready for school. She took a long bath, adding a myriad of essential oils in hopes of calming her screaming nerves. Unfortunately, it didn't do much more than make her smell like camomile and cedar wood. When she finally got out, she looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since her and her father's...conversation from the day before. She had a split lip and a black eye that she couldn't seem to cover up with makeup. Looking down at her body, she found that both her wrists were bruised as well, along with her ribcage, thigh, and hip. With a sigh, Paulina dug a bright pink sweater out of her dresser. It was oversized, so the long sleeves would be able to hide the bruises on her wrists. She found a pair of black leggings, throwing them on carefully, wincing when she She grazed her thigh and her still healing knee.

By the time she did her makeup to the best of her ability, ate breakfast, and finished up some history reading, it was time for her to leave for school. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Star would walk with her. She knew her friend probably wouldn't, but she tried to push that thought from her mind.

The moment Paulina opened the door, she found herself face to face with Casper High's resident techno-geek - Tucker Foley.

"Paulina, did Sam call you yet?" he breathed heavily, having obviously ran to her house. Paulina pulled her phone out of her pocket, seeing the eleven missed calls from Sam.

"Oh, yeah, I was busy getting ready though. What's up?" Paulina asked while she put her phone back in her jacket pocket.

"We found Danny," Tucker breathed.

"You found him?" Paulina asked, her face lighting up.

"Yeah, we did, he's— wait, what happened to your eye?" Tucker asked, his eyebrows knitting together in worry.

"I- well- it's n- nothing," Paulina offered him a small smile, earning a doubtful nod.

"That's not nothing. And your lip— Paulina, are you ok?" Tucker pressed, taking a small step forward and causing Paulina to unconsciously flinch.

"It's fine!" Paulina said louder than she meant to. She looked behind her and into her house in worry, deciding to step outside and close the door behind her. "Look, it's ok, I'm fine."

"You're not fine!" Tucker groaned, crossing his arms across his chest. "Who did this to you? Your dad? You need to get away from him, ok?"

"I—" Paulina began, trying to keep a shaking sob from escaping her lips unsuccessfully. She pressed her back to her door, letting the hot tears roll down her cheeks. "He's all I have. I can't just leave."

Tucker took a small step forward, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her head to his chest. Paulina hadn't realized how tall he was until that moment - she'd always looked down on him like he was a short, scrawny geek. She let herself cry into his chest, her shaking sobs rocking both of their bodies feverishly. After a few more moments of this, Tucker took a step back, smiling shyly at her and nervously shuffling in the side pocket of his backpack, eventually pulling out a tissue. He handed it to Paulina, offering her a sincere smile.

"Come to Wisconsin with us," Tucker said, letting go of the tissue just as Paulina grabbed it.

"What? Wisconsin?" the raven haired girl asked, wiping away her tears slowly and dabbing her running nose. "Why?"

"That's where Danny is. Jazz couldn't explain, but he's there, and we have to go get him. Sam and I are leaving tonight, and I want you to come with us," the techno-geek explained softly.

"But...you guys are Danny's friends," Paulina sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I'm just some _bitch_ who happened to find out about his secret."

"No, Paulina, you're our friend. Sam and I trust you, and I'm positive Danny will too. You're a part of team Phantom now," Tucker reassured.

Paulina dabbed her still running nose a few more times, letting out a long sigh and smiling at her new friend. "Ok, I'm in."

 **Hey guys! So, someone said after last chapter that they prefer the longer chapters, so I'll start doing more of those from now on! Sorry for the wait again - I'm back to school after taking a break for medical reasons, and it's a lot more than I remembered. But! I have so many fresh ideas for this story! I'm super excited!!**

 **With everything going on, I'll probably be updating every 2-3 days with longer chapters (around this length).**

 **As always, thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows - extra thanks to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	19. chapter 19

Chapter 19 - Twisting Roads

Paulina, Sam, and Tucker didn't go to school that day. They managed to sneak over to the train tracks they'd practiced at just a few days prior. Sam already had a duffel bag ready to go with a few days worth of clothes for herself and Paulina - Tucker had called her and told her that the popular girl needed clothes. Despite most of it being black, and the pants being just a bit short, Paulina could make the articles work.

"So, here's the plan," Sam started, looking between Tucker and Paulina. "Jazz is in Wisconsin, staying with Vlad under the guise of running away from Mr. Fenton, and—"

"Wait, Vlad doesn't like Danny's dad?" Paulina asked.

"Nah, he's totally into Danny's mom. It's weird," Tucker scrunched his nose while he explained.

"Anyways," Sam sent a small glare to the two, "she told us she can probably sneak us in. Danny's there. She didn't really say why, or what's going on, but..." the goth girl gulped, "he's in trouble."

"How're we getting there?" Paulina asked, grabbing Sam's hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

"Well, a while ago, Danny, Tucker and I kinda... _borrowed_ an ecto-wheeler. We decided to keep it around here," Sam motioned to the train tracks, smiling thankfully at Paulina.

"Ok, auto theft, cool," Paulina nodded, looking around the desolate tracks. "Where is it?"

"C'mon, let's go," Sam lead Paulina and Tucker just a few yards down. Finally, they got to what appeared to be a pile of trash under a stained, ragged white tarp. The moment Tucker pulled the tarp off, Paulina gasped, her jaw dropping. The vehicle looked like a mix between a tank and a four wheeler, just big enough to seat three. There was a clear, green tinged glass dome covering the three seats, almost like a protective bubble.

"Woah," she said, looking back and forth between Sam and Tucker. "You guys stole this?"

"Yeah," Tucker smiled nervously.

"And the Fentons didn't notice?" Paulina asked.

"They think a ghost took it," Sam explained, smiling in a rebellious fashion. "So, you ready to do this, princess?"

Paulina smiled at her new friends, hastily throwing her hair in a messy high pony. "Ready as I'll ever be."

By the time the three finally got on the road, it was just around the time school was getting out. The three teens had stopped at the local grocery store, stocking up on the materials for their impromptu road trip. Paulina bought herself a toothbrush and toothpaste, along with a cheap Barbie princess hairbrush and a twelve pack of hair binders. Sam bought the three teens some food for the road, and Tucker bought himself three five hour energy drinks - why, Paulina didn't quite know, but she knew better than to question the techno geek. After hours of driving in the cramped little wheeler, the three finally pulled into a small motel in the middle of nowhere. Sam covered the bill with her premium credit card.

"Your parents won't notice?" Paulina asked, shouldering the duffel bag Sam had borrowed her for the clothes and toiletries.

"No, they only check if I go over my $3,000 limit," Sam shrugged, helping Tucker pull a new tarp over the wheeler in an attempt to be more inconspicuous.

"$3,000?" Paulina asked skeptically.

"Yeah, her parents are a whole other level of rich," Tucker chuckled, elbowing the goth next to him and dropping the tarp once they had positioned it correctly.

"Shut up," Sam feigned a slap on her friend's arm, a small smile creeping onto her lips.

By the time the three teens settled into their small room, Sam practically collapsed on the small, beat up couch. Within seconds, she was snoring, leaving Paulina and Tucker seemingly alone.

"She seems really tired lately," Paulina observed, motioning with her chin towards the sleeping goth.

"Yeah, this whole Danny thing has really been stressing her out..." Tucker trailed off, looking down at his lap, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What's the matter?" Paulina asked gently.

"What? Oh, nothing, I- I'm fine!" Tucker stammered, fidgeting with his hands while he spoke anxiously.

"Hey, you saw through my bull shit earlier today; it's my turn to see through yours," Paulina laughed lightly, causing Tucker's eyes to snap up to her.

"I guess...I don't know, it's weird to see Danny and Sam pining after each other, ya know?" he took a deep, rattling breath. "I don't know. We've been friends since grade school, and that hasn't necessarily changed, but...well, puberty kicked in, and they started to like each other, and a part of me is afraid that if they ever get together, they might cut me out..." Tucker trailed off, still fiddling with his hands.

"Oh, Tucker..." Paulina sighed, reaching out to him and squeezing his hand reassuringly. "I don't know about Danny, but Sam cares so much about you. And...well, I'd be willing to guess that Danny does too, just based off of how he acts."

Tucker laughed, causing Paulina to draw away in confusion. "Danny's weird like that. He looks like one thing from the outside, but he's different when you get to know him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, most people don't think he'd have anger issues, right? Well, he does," Tucker shook his head, an uncharacteristically cold smile frozen on his lips.

"Are you- are you scared of him?" Paulina asked slowly, careful to keep her voice calm.

Tucker flicked his eyes over to her, his face dropping when he realized his effect on Paulina's mood. "Oh, uh, that all came off wrong. It's not that I'm scared of him...I just think he's lucky, ya know? He gets to do whatever because he knows most people couldn't even attempt to hurt him."

"Oh," Paulina sighed, nodding slowly. "Ok."

"Actually, I think you two would get along really well. You both seem so different than you actually are," Tucker chuckled.

"What...what do you mean?" Paulina cocked her head to the left.

"I mean...I don't know, I never would've guessed you'd be so cool. You just always seemed so...so scary."

"Oh," Paulina's face fell.

"No, uh, I didn't mean—"

"No, it's fine!" Paulina forced a smile, grabbing one of the pillows from the single, twin sized bed and hugging it to her chest. "I'm gonna, uh, go to bed," she rolled over, burying her head into the pillow and letting her body shake restlessly.

"Hey, Paulina, I- I'm so sorry if that came off weird, I just...you're pretty awesome, ok? I didn't mean anything else..."

"Yeah, ok," Paulina shuddered, kicking herself away and reaching up to the bed, pulling the comforter over herself.

Paulina didn't know why she was so upset; maybe it was being so far away from home for the first time. Maybe it was the fact that she left things so cold with Star. Maybe it was the sick, twisted idea that her maniacal external shell was what had really ruined their friendship. With a shiver, she realized all at once why she was so upset - that cold, hard, scary exterior was the same as her mother and father's. She was turning into them, and she swore to herself she wouldn't let herself slip farther while she wept silently on the floor of a dirty motel.

 **Hey guys! It took a while again because of school and some other... _stuff_. But I'm back! And I'll try to keep updating somewhat regularly.**

 **Anyways, I'm real excited about some of the plot things I've been figuring out - I think it'll be really good!!**

 **Thanks, as always, to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows. A super special thanks to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	20. chapter 20

Chapter 20 - Premature Threats

Somehow, Paulina's dream that night managed to be even worse than that of the night before. It started with pieces of a memory from when she was young - maybe four or five. The fragmented pieces lodged themselves in her brain like broken glass lodged itself in someone's unsuspecting foot.

"Jasmina!" Paulina's dad shouted from across the mansion, his heavy footsteps echoing inside the small girl's head.

"Leave me alone!" Paulina's mother screeched as a reply, her rushed, furious footsteps causing Paulina to cover her ears from her place in the massive dining hall.

"You bitch, I'll kill you!" her father yelled, his footsteps coming too close to the young girl. Grabbing the dolls she'd dropped, Paulina crawled under the large mahogany table, her limbs shaking furiously.

"I hate you!" her mother called, now in the dining hall. Paulina could see both of her parent's legs from her hiding spot under the table. Her father walked quickly towards her mother, a loud smack sending her mother to the floor. Her mother slowly turned her head, which was now on the ground. She smiled at her slowly, eyes flashing deadly green while her entire aesthetic shifted to that of the ghostly mother Paulina had seen in her dream the night prior.

"Mom?" her voice shook. Paulina was older now - her current age, from what she could tell.

"Grab my hand," the pale, ghostly version of Paulina's mother urged her, outstretching her perfectly manicured hand.

Paulina paused for a few moments before grabbing her mother's hand. It was freezing cold, chilling her to the bone. Her mother pulled her from under the mahogany table and into a new, dazzling scene. They both stood in the center of a large stage, it's red velvet curtains pulled to either side. In the center was a black glittering podium. In the middle of the podium was a sight that forced a sob from Paulina's lips.

"What the hell?" Paulina nearly screamed, running to the podium and staring for a moment at her best friend, Star, bound in glowing green rope. Paulina tried to climb onto the podium, only to be pulled back by her ghostly mother.

"Oh, honey, I wouldn't do that if I were you," the ghost cackled, her grip on Paulina's arm tightening.

"Let her go!" Paulina tried to escape from her mother's grip, but it was no use - she could hardly move.

"Oh, I will, on one condition - you bring me those two you're traveling with. You let me have them and the ghost boy, and I'll let you and the redhead leave. Oh, and Star, of course," the ghost's mouth curled into a devilish smirk, sending shivers into the pit of her stomach.

"No, please," Paulina begged, her voice cracking from yelling. "You can't do this to me."

"I'll kill her by sundown tomorrow," Paulina's ghostly mother whispered coldly in her ear.

"You can't do this!" Paulina screamed as the scene around her shattered into reality.

"Paulina!" Sam shook her shoulders, and Paulina sat straight up, her head nearly colliding with Tucker's, who had just been leaning over her.

"What- what happened?" Paulina asked, looking between the two teens before her.

"You were having a nightmare," Tucker explained, his eyes wide with worry.

"Oh," Paulina spoke with a small gasp, relief washing her when she realized that it was all just a dream.

"What was it about?" Sam asked, rubbing Paulina's shoulder reassuringly. Paulina sank into the touch, looking between Sam and Tucker again before sighing.

"It- it was about my mom, and...and Star—" Paulina was cut off by her cell phone ringing from her purse. She leaned over and grabbed it from the floor, pulling out her phone and smiling sadly when she saw that it was Star's number. "Star. I...I didn't say goodbye..." Paulina explained to her new friends, who nodded in unison.

"You need to take that. We'll be across the street at the diner - meet us there when you're done?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Paulina smiled thankfully at the two, staying seated on the floor while they both put on their jackets and walked out and across the street. Finally, she answered her ringing phone, mentally preparing herself to explain why she'd left so suddenly.

"Paulina?" another woman's voice - Star's mother's, from the sound of it - answered, causing Paulina to pause anxiously.

"...Yes?" Paulina asked slowly, her heart beginning to race.

"Oh thank God! We've been looking everywhere for you! Please, you need to come home - all of you!" Star's mother sighed with relief.

"Oh, please, don't worry. You and Star - you don't have to worry about me. I'm ok," Paulina explained, trying to reassure the worried woman.

"Star and I- Star's with you, isn't she?" the woman on the other end asked, her voice falling into surprise. "She's with you and Sam and Tucker, right?"

Paulina's heart dropped to her stomach. "No," she breathed the word gently. "I thought she was still home."

"Paulina, she's been missing since yesterday morning. She wasn't at school. She's really not with you?" Star's mother asked frantically.

"No, I- I'm sorry Mrs. Cooper, she's not. I don't- I don't know where she'd be," Paulina's heart began to race, her breathing quickening. The woman on the other end let out a rattling sob.

"My Star, my baby!" she sobbed into the phone, and Paulina could feel the pure anguish in her voice.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Cooper," Paulina sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes - she hadn't even realized she'd been crying. "I'll bring her home. I won't come back until I do."

"Wait, Paulina, what does that—"

Before the distraught mother could finish her sentence, Paulina hung up the phone. She grabbed her hair and twisted it while her hand tightened into a fist. Most of it had fallen out of her pony overnight. A shaking shriek leaped from her throat, and she threw her phone across the room before she could think to stop herself. She could practically see the shattered screen just based off of the horrible crunching noise it made when it hit the wall of the motel. Paulina put her other hand in her hair, squeezing now with both fists. She let another scream fall from her shaking lips. Despite her body moving and reacting, she felt nothing. Her bones and fingers and toes and stomach were overcome with a wave of numbness. Star was missing. Star was gone. If that part of her dream had been right, that meant that...that meant that her mom might be dead. That thought threw her into the agony her body had already been reacting too, another sob filling the cheap motel room.

Before she could think or do anything else, a series of knocks came from the door, quickly turning into pounding and banging. Paulina struggled to her feet, stumbling over to the door and pulling it open quickly, her mind not focused on the consequences of opening the door to a stranger in an area like this. Luckily, she recognized the person who stood at the door. His clothing was tattered and ripped - stained with blood and dirt and mud. His face was smeared with, again, blood and dirt and mud - but also something else. It glowed green as it dripped down his chin. His raven hair stuck up in all different directions, and his sapphire blue eyes were wild. He leaned against the doorframe of the dirty motel, swaying slightly on his feet.

"Jasmina," Danny Fenton whispered the name before falling forward into a stunned Paulina's arms.

 **Yay! Another chapter done! I've been trying to really amp up the plot line from teenage drama to serious stuff - let me know what y'all think in the reviews!**

 **I'm going to try my best to keep updating on a fairly regular schedule, but I can't make any guarantees . The only thing I can promise is that I won't be able to update daily if I keep writing long(er) chapters. Let me know if that's a problem for anyone!!**

 **Thanks to all who read, favorite, follow, and especially to all who review - you guys are great!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	21. chapter 21

Chapter 21 - Hasty Introductions

"You're sure he said Jasmina, not Jasmine?" Sam asked while she fussed over Danny's injuries. The most notable one was a gash across his forehead - that's where the blood and ectoplasm was coming from.

"He said Jasmina," Paulina rubbed her fingers together, wincing and cursing under her breath. She looked down at her hand. The tips of her thumbs and index fingers were cut. They had small pieces of glass clinging to them still. She brushed her right cheek with the back of her left hand. That was bleeding as well. She couldn't remember, but she must have panicked and called Sam and Tucker with her broken phone. She looked down at her lap - she was seated cross-legged - and saw the glowing, shattered screen.

"Who the hell is that?" Sam groaned through gritted teeth.

"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault," Paulina shuddered, a hiccuping sob falling from her lips.

"Tucker, go deal with her, I can't deal with this right now," Sam pressed a washcloth to Danny's head, her voice frantic and furious.

"Paulina, hey, come here," Tucker crouched down next to her, pulling her head into his chest. Paulina cried into his shirt. He smelled overwhelmingly like cologne. She had to keep herself from pulling back - she'd never particularly liked the smell of men's cologne.

"She did this. She took Star. She has Jazz. She did this, she did this, and it's all my fault," Paulina continued to sob, her voice cracking.

"Hey, it's not you're fault. Who are you talking about? What's going on?" Tucker's voice was slow and careful - and tense. Of course he was worried about Danny. Paulina's breakdown was merely an inconvenience for him.

"My mom. She- she's dead. I saw her in my dream. She took Star, and she has Jazz. When- when I woke up, Star's mom called me and- and told me Star's missing," Paulina sniffled, her head still buried in Tucker's shirt.

"We don't know that for—" Tucker started.

"My mom's name is- is Jasmina," Paulina pushed away from him so that she could look at his eyes. "She told me she'd kill Star if I didn't- if I didn't bring you and Sam and Danny to her. She said- she said she'd kill Jazz, too."

Tucker froze, his eyes widening while he stared right at Paulina. "S- Sam, you might wanna hear this," he called over to the goth, who was still fussing over Danny.

Suddenly, Danny gasped and sat up, causing the other three teens to jump in surprise. "Jazz!" he yelled, his eyes flashing green before fading back to blue.

"Danny," Sam threw her arms around the ghost boy, hugging him tightly. Danny looked around in shock before wrapping his arms around Sam's back, burying his head into her ratted black hair.

"Sam," he breathed, a small smile lingering on his face. The two broke apart, and Danny scanned the room, his eyes eventually landing on Paulina. "Oh. What is she doing here?"

Paulina took a long, shaking breath. She looked at Sam and Tucker, who both eyed her apprehensively. "I- uh—" she began.

"She found out about- about your secret," Sam explained, ringing her hands in front of her.

"Wait, what?" Danny asked, his eyes focusing on Paulina. "I swear, if you tell anyone—"

"She hasn't," Tucker jumped in, smiling awkwardly between Paulina and Danny.

"We trust her," Sam put her hand on Danny's shoulder. The two shared a meaningful look before simultaneously looking away and blushing, causing Sam to drop her hand.

"Uh, ok," Danny smiled awkwardly at Paulina. "Well, um, welcome to team Phantom, I guess?"

"Thanks," Paulina nodded, using the back of her hand to wipe the strange mix of tears and blood from her cheek.

"Jasmina," Tucker reminded Paulina, who looked up at him with big, sad eyes.

"Wait, you know something about her?" Danny asked, pressing the cool washcloth Sam had given him to his injured head.

Paulina nodded, letting herself take a deep breath before speaking. "She's- she's my mother. I think she died recently. She says- she says she'll kill Star and Jazz if I don't bring you guys to her..."

The other three teens looked at Paulina for a few moments while she avoided their gazes. After a few seconds, she felt Tucker's hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, smiling sadly. "I know you and Star are best friends - and Jazz is a part of team Phantom, too. If she says she'll kill them, we'll make sure she doesn't."

Paulina turned to Sam, sending her a questioning look. Sure, Paulina and Star were best friends, but the popular teen was under the impression that both Sam and Tucker had known that they were potentially more. Sam rolled eyes. _Boys_ , her expression seemed to say. In all of his obliviousness, Tucker hadn't realized that Paulina and Star had feelings for one another. Despite the palpable tension in the room, that thought almost made her laugh.

"So, Jasmina's your...your mom?" Danny asked skeptically. "She just looks so..."

"Young?" Paulina jumped in. "Yeah, I know. I saw her in my dreams. It's like she's in her twenties again."

Sam studied Paulina's disappointed expression for a few moments before some sort of realization seemed to hit her. "You...you didn't know your mom was dead, did you?"

Paulina sighed, picking tiny pieces of glass from her bleeding fingers anxiously. "Well, I don't know. I guess I never thought she'd die so soon. After she skipped town with that male model last year, I didn't know how long she'd survive - especially with her pill addiction. I guess I never thought she'd die this quick, though..."

"Oh, I'm sorry Paulina," Tucker sighed.

"Yeah, that sucks," Sam agreed, sending Paulina an apologetic look. "Don't worry, we'll find Star and Jazz - we'll figure this out, I promise."

Paulina nodded while her gaze drifted over to Danny, who sat close to Sam with a perplexed look on his face. "Where were you?" Paulina asked him slowly, grabbing a corner of an old blanket that had fallen to the ground and pressing it against her cheek.

"I- I don't remember..." Danny trailed off, rotating the cool washcloth on his head. "I remember going into the Ghost Zone to try and find whatever all the ghosts were talking about and...and then I was at Vlad's? That's all kinda a blur, too. I just remember some ghost named Jasmina - your mom, Paulina - taunting me and telling me to bring Sam and Tucker to her. Then...I woke up here. How- how long have I been gone?"

Tucker sighed slowly. "About a week."

"What?" Danny asked, trying to get up before stumbling back down.

"Hey! Take it easy! You might have a concussion or something," Sam scolded him, putting her hands on his shoulders. Again, they shared a meaningful glance before looking away, that familiar blush suddenly present on their faces.

"A week?" Danny breathed, looking around the room slowly. "A whole week. Wow."

"Well, hey, at least you're back. We can go to Wisconsin and find Jazz and Star, ok?" Tucker smiled at his best friend.

"Yeah, you're right Tuck, thanks," Danny smiled, leaning back against the side of the bed he was next to. "So, uh, what time is it?"

Sam looked at the small alarm clock next to the bed, letting out a heavy sigh. "Five in the morning. Tucker and I were just going to grab some breakfast, then we thought we'd hit the road, but you need to rest, Danny," Sam explained.

All the teens agreed, slowly cleaning themselves up. Danny took a shower in the tiny bathroom first while Sam and Tucker helped Paulina pick pieces of glass from her hands and face. When Danny got out, it was Paulina's turn to take a shower. Stepping in, she let the steaming water wash over her, wincing slightly when it hit her face and hands. She looked down at the dark bruise encircling her knee, and tenderly felt the bruised area around her eye. Her father finally felt far enough away not to do anything to her, but that didn't make her feel any less afraid. Now, she had a different parent to worry about - her mother. Paulina couldn't help but think it was all her fault.

When she finally got out of the shower, everyone seemed to be asleep: Tucker was laying on the bed, spread out so that all four of his limbs were hanging off the bed. Sam was on the couch, sitting upright with her head hanging to one side with Danny next to her in a similar position. Paulina threw on some of Sam's borrowed clothes and threw her hair into a messy bun, grabbing a stray pillow and blanket and cuddling up on the floor near the couch. She tried to fall asleep, but all she could find herself doing was tossing and turning restlessly.

"Can't sleep?" Danny's groggy voice cut through Paulina's rustling.

"No," Paulina sighed her answer slowly. "I can't have another dream..."

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "I get it."

For whatever reason, Paulina believed him on a deep level. After all, he must have gone through a thousand times what she'd gone through. He probably got nightmares too. The two wide awake teens laid there while the sun came up, resting in the comfortable silence and waiting for their mutual friends to wake up.

 **Hey everyone! Guess who got an aweful case of writer's block?**

 **I'm so super sorry I didn't update sooner, I just didn't know how to wrap up this chapter. Actually, I'm still not too proud of it, but the next chapter will be better - I promise!**

 **As always, thanks to everyone who favorites, follows, and reads - an extra special thanks to everyone who reviews!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Ash**


	22. chapter 22

Chapter 22 - False Assumptions

The four teens traveled the rest of the way to Wisconsin in an awkward silence. Danny flew alongside the ecto-wheeler, leaving Sam, Tucker, and Paulina to ride inside. Paulina sat in the back, pushing herself against the glass dome to avoid eye contact with the other teens. She played with her hair, one strange thought sticking to the front of her mind.

Paulina had beautiful hair. She had ever since she could remember. It was thick and smooth and it grew faster than most people's she knew. Her mom always said she could be a hair model. Paulina believed that, too. While she played with the ends, she could see her mother's eyes looking at her - they were proud. Now that her mother was...most likely dead, would she be proud of who she'd become? That thought caused her eyes to mist over.

When the team was about half a mile from Vlad's mansion, they pulled over to talk about a game plan.

"So, she just wants Tucker and Danny and I?" Sam asked while she leaned against a tree in the dense forest near the mansion.

"Yeah," Paulina breathed, looking down at the ground. Her favorite pair of pink shoes were covered in mud. That fact would've driven her crazy just two weeks ago, but now she felt too numb for it to bother her.

"Well, then we'll play that close to our chests. Paulina, if you hide in the woods, you might be able to catch her off guard and break us out," Tucker said, his voice gradually getting quicker.

"That might just work!" Sam said, drawing Paulina's attention up. She scanned over the other three teens, her eyes landing on Danny. He was looking down, biting his lip anxiously.

Paulina knew it right away - the plan was far too risky. If she couldn't get in, her new friends would die, and she couldn't have that.

"It's a great plan," Paulina feigned a smile, looking down at her ecto-whip. "Actually, I should probably, uh, go find a place to hide right now..."

Sam and Tucker nodded eagerly, continuing to talk about their thinly constructed plan while Paulina walked through the woods. A million thoughts raced through her mind, though one stuck. Star was in there. As much as the rest of team Phantom wanted to get Jazz out of there, Paulina could only think of her. Star. The closer she got to the mansion, the more she began shaking. She remembered all of the things she loved about her best friend - her smile, her eyes, the way she looked at her. Paulina made a silent promise to herself that when she got Star out of there, she'd tell her how much she loved her. Paulina loved her, and she wasn't going to hide it anymore.

Just as the mansion came into Paulina's view, she heard a ruffling from the bush near just behind her. Activating her whip, she turned around and instinctively struck. The moment she saw that it was Danny, she gasped, retracting the glowing green weapon.

"Oh my god, Danny, you can't scare me like that!" Paulina said, helping Danny - Danny _Phantom_ this time - to his feel carefully. "What are you doing out here?"

"Stopping you from doing something stupid," Danny explained, going intangible so that the mud and leaves covering his suit fell to the ground below him. Paulina opened her mouth to respond, but the snowy haired boy interrupted him before she could. "I know you don't like Sam and Tucker's plan. You were gonna go in there by yourself, weren't you?"

Paulina huffed, crossing her arms defensively. "Look, ghost boy, it doesn't matter what I was doing. You're not in charge of me like your friends act like you are."

"Paulina—" he began.

"Fenton- Phantom — whoever the hell you are — just let me do this. Let me save her," Paulina said, her voice cracking against her will at the end of the sentence.

"Her?" Danny asked, his eyebrows and taking a small step forward. "...Star?"

Paulina bit her now quivering lip before turning around and starting forward again. "I'm leaving, and you can't do anything to stop me—" Danny landed right in front of her with a gently thump, causing her to jump. She looked behind her, cursing under her breath. "Dammit, Danny!"

"You don't have to—"

"What, don't have to do this by myself?" Paulina asked, her eyes watering while she wiped the unshed tears away. "Yeah, I do. It's my fault we're here. My mom...she..." she trailed off, taking a shaking breath. "You can't stop me."

"I don't want to stop you," Danny said, his face shockingly intense. "I'm here to come with you."

 **Ok, so I have a reason for the super inconsistent updates. For whatever reason, the chapter I updated almost a week ago didn't actually get posted until a day or two ago? I'm not quite sure why that is, but it's up now at least!**

 **Also! I still have a tiny bit of writer's block! I'm trying really hard to write good content, but idk why I'm haviing such a hard time right now. Hopefully it'll go away soon...**

 **Please leave a review telling me what you all think, it would mean so much to me!! Also, thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows - y'all are the best.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ash**


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